Fantasy and paranormal romance are all the rage right now. From soccer moms to screaming teens, we just don’t seem to be able to get enough. However, some people seem to be holding out still unsure if all these weird romances are for them…
Books to get your friends hooked on vamps:
Are you a fangophile and just can’t get your friends to jump onboard? Try the Southern Vampire series by Charlaine Harris! This wonderful mix of mystery, romance, and action will have your friends forgetting they are even reading about vampires until they are already sucked in. — From there you can easily get them addicted to True Blood 
Books to get your friends hooked on weres:
As someone who avoided this branch of paranormal and was ALWAYS team vampire (whether it’s Edward, Eric, or Jean-Claude), the Shifters series by Rachel Vincent took me by surprise. I absolutely love the main character! Faythe is my type of kick-ass female without being annoying or over-the-top.
Books to get your friends hooked on faeries:
This is where I really need some suggestions!! I read Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr recently and although I liked it, I’m not hooked. I’m about to start The Iron King by Julie Kagawa (which I’ve heard AMAZING things about). I’ve also been told to try Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston.
What books do you recommend
to get a newbie hooked on the paranormal?!
This was written for Week 2 of BIP 2010 : Pumping Up Post Titles.
Ohh, faerie recommendations! I’ve just started adding some of these to my wish list, specifically because I heard The Iron King is so good.
For vampires (and weres) I always recommend Anita Blake. For faeries, Meredith Gentry. But I’m a Laurell K. Hamilton devotee so those are pretty obvious.
Other faeries – Artemis Fowl (Eoin Colfer)
Other vampires – Queen Betsy (MaryJanice Davidson), Casa Dracula (Marta Acosta), Twilight (obviously), Vegas Vampires (Erin McCarthy), Vampire Diaries (L.J. Smith), Carpathians (Christine Feehan)
Other weres – Women of the Otherworld (Kelley Armstrong), The Promise / The Passion (Donna Boyd)
Most of those are established, well-known authors. I’ve been trying to branch out and find some new paranormal series, so I’ll definitely be back to see what everyone else suggests.
Oops, well Artemis Fowl isn’t romance, it’s middle grade but I like it and it might be a good way to introduce people to faeries in nonthreatening way, like Harry Potter did for wizards.
Hmm. Sookie still hasn’t sucked me in. =P
For getting them hooked on angel and fallen-angel fiction, try ‘Fallen’ and ‘Hush Hush’ in YA and ‘Angels’ Blood’ & ‘Archangel’s Kiss’ by Nalini Singh for adults who like romance.
I LOVED the Sookie series, and actually anything Harris has written. Great vampire books!
But I haven’t had a chance to read Wicked Lovely yet and really want to. Thanks for the recommendations!
I like the Southern Vampire Mysteries. They’re just so much fun! I am about to start on the sixth book in the series soon.
Wicked Lovely I really just could not get into. I have tried but faeries and I just don’t seem to mix!
I have an award for you, as well:
http://terraonthebookshelf.blogspot.com/2010/02/bingo-beautiful-blog-award.html
@ Jennifer : Thanks for all the suggestions! I’ve never heard of some of these and will definitely be looking them up!
I’ll might have to post next week and share what everyone recommended
@ Amanda : Have you read any of them?
@ Tiger Holland : I didn’t even think about angels!! I’m on the wait-list at the library for Hush, Hush. Great suggestions!!
@ The1stDaugher : I haven’t read Harris’ other books. Are they as good?
@ Terra : Ooooh you’re getting into the good ones! (Not that the others aren’t good lol.) I had a hard time really caring about the characters in Wicked Lovely until late in the book.
WOW! Thanks!!! I’ll be sure to post about it this week!
Of course I have. I read the first one. I won it from one of Stacey’s giveaways.