9 Books to Read If You Like "Supernatural"

October is upon us, and for me, that means a few things:

1. NaNoWriMo planning (*screams quietly while staring at a mess of a Word document filled with manic notes*)
2. Halloween costume planning (Wait until you see what I did this year)
3. A new season of "Supernatural!!!!!!!!"

I've already watched the first episode and WOW are we "Supernatural" fans in for a wild ride. But while we're bemoaning various cliffhangers and realizing we have to wait a week or longer for much needed answers, here are some books you can read with a touch of something "Supernatural" to it to tide you over.

Warning: Mild "Supernatural" spoilers ahead!

1. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

I'm only 25 pages in, but I know what the story is, and I can already tell it's going to be great. There's literally a character named Crowley. How much more do you need?

All right, but besides that, it's also super funny and deals with the apocalypse. What happens when the anti-christ named Adam . . .

. . . grows up with the wrong family and thus isn't properly prepared to bring about the end of the world?

2. Contaminated by Em Garner

Zombies! Family drama! The oh-so-complicated question of what to do when your family member has literally turned into a monster!

3. Misery by Stephen King

It'd be kind of impossible to leave a Stephen King novel off this list, so here we are. Annie is like the ultimate "Supernatural" big bad: off-putting, deceptive, and surprisingly strong. Imagine Lucifer torturing Sam in the cage. Now imagine Sam is a writer and Stephen King wrote the story.

4. The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Aliens aren't exactly on the same level as paranormal creatures, but they still make for an awesome story. Especially when possession is involved! (She said, with entirely too much glee.) I love the conflict that comes from various characters trying to figure out whether or not Wanda (the alien possessing Melanie) is a villain simply because she's an alien. Just like all those times in "Supernatural" when Sam and Dean argued over whether monsters are just monsters, period, or if some monsters can be good guys, too.

5. You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day

In case any of you miss Charlie as much as I do.

6. The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

Gotta love shapeshifters. And an addictive plot with plenty of twists and turns. I devoured the whole trilogy in less than a week, so this should definitely keep you busy until the next episode.

7. Fairest by Marissa Meyer

If there's one thing "Supernatural" does well (and they do so many things well), they know how to create fresh and interesting villains. Some villains are straight up evil (*cough* Metatron *cough*) and some are a little more complicated than that. Crowley, for instance, as even the Winchesters had to team up with him a few times. Fairest is able to show just how easily a good person can go down the wrong path.

8. If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Now there's nothing paranormal about this, but, it deals with someone who's lingering perilously between life and death and it's guaranteed to make you bawl like a baby. In other words, every season finale of "Supernatural" ever.

9. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Werewolves!

What book would you recommend to a "Supernatural" fan? Who's your favorite "Supernatural" villain? Leave a comment!

8 Books to Read If You Like "Gilmore Girls"

It's been a long time since I did a post like this one, but the "Gilmore Girls" revival is simultaneously hurdling toward us (how is it almost September already???) and taking forever to get here (but OMG it could not get here any slower).

I thought this would be the perfect time to go through every book shelved on my Goodreads account. And there were lots.

I did a post last year like this, except it was books to read if you like "Doctor Who." A lot of us book nerds love Netflix almost as much as we love libraries. Reading is awesome. TV shows are awesome. There are so many ways to figure out which book to read next if you like a certain one. You can talk to your book blogger friends, consult Goodreads, find other books that author has written, etc. And Netflix and Amazon and Hulu and every streaming site out there is just all too willing to recommend other shows to you until you're drowning in the amount of episodes you have yet to watch. And obviously you're going to watch twelve today, because the dishes can wait. But resources to figure out which book to read if you like a certain TV show? Not many.

Let's fix that.

The cool thing is this works both ways. If you like "Gilmore Girls," now you have a whole bunch of new books to read that are similar to it to pass the time until November. If you don't watch "Gilmore Girls," but like the books listed, now you have a new show to watch!

Oh, Sam--I mean Dean. You have much to learn.

 

1. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

(I use any excuse I can get to mention this book.) But in all seriousness, this book's simplicity matches that of "Gilmore Girls." And the dialogue! Rainbow Rowell is a master at dialogue. Her level of wit and the naturalness of her characters when they're speaking are what I hope to achieve in my own writing. And for those of you who watch "Gilmore Girls," you know that feeling you get when you hear the theme song or see the DVDs? That's how you feel after reading Eleanor & Park; all fuzzy and warm, and you immediately want to read it again.

2. Coffee at Luke's: An Unauthorized Gilmore Girls Gabfest by Jennifer Crusie (and also many authors)

Maybe I should've started with this one, since it's the most obvious. An entire book of essays dedicated to studying the show, the characters, and everything in between? Yes, please. Some of the essays are fantastic, others are a little more bleh, but you're sure to find something in there that you enjoy. That's the beauty of anthologies.


3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Besides the fact that this is most definitely a book that's been on Rory's gargantuan reading list at some point in her life (and was probably a reread), there are other factors that make this the perfect read for a "Gilmore Girls" fan. Like the snark, the small town with lots of different characters to add flavor to the story, and the family dynamics. Some of my favorite scenes with Scout involve her interacting with extended family members.

4. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

BECAUSE RAINBOW ROWELL.

Okay, but in all seriousness, I could see her writing authentic "Gilmore Girls" fan-fiction, because so many aspects of the show are in her books. This one especially, seeing as it's an introverted writer finding her way around college life. Rory Gilmore, anybody?

5. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

More family dynamics! A female driven story! Daughters who love their mothers! Something that's cool about this book is that there are four girls who are all very different, so women aren't portrayed all in the same way. "Gilmore Girls" does that, too. Sookie is very different from Lorelai who is different from Lane who is different from Rory who is different from Emily who is different from Miss Patty. I could go on.

6. Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum

Oh, the wit. The banter and bubbling romance between Jessie and her anonymous correspondent is reminiscent of Rory and any one of her love interests. From the cover to the plenty of white space within the pages of the book due to the frequent exchange of e-mails that happens in the story, it's sparse in the best way possible, and I think "Gilmore Girls" is like that, too. Plus, this book is addictive. I read it while I was sick with the flu, and when I wasn't napping, I was devouring this. Much like anyone would binge-watch "Gilmore Girls."

Basically the whole book.

7. The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet by Stephanie Morrill

More introverted writer girls! And a shy one, to boot. Simple story, very character driven, just like "Gilmore Girls." For people who like Fangirl, too, you'll like this one. And vice versa.

8. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

This is another fantastic female-driven story in a town where everyone seems to be connected in one way or another. It's hysterical and sometimes sad or frustrating. And the food! Can Minny just come over sometime and cook for me? Please?

Because one can never have too many pie gifs when it comes to this book.

Are you as freakishly excited for the "Gilmore Girls" revival as I am? What books remind you of the show? Leave a comment!

7 Books to Read If You Like "Doctor Who"

I've been thinking about how many fangirls/boys love Netflix almost as much as they love libraries. Reading is awesome. TV shows are awesome. There are so many ways to figure out which book to read next if you like a certain one. You can talk to your librarians, consult Goodreads, find other books that author has written, etc. But there aren't a whole lot of resources to figure out which book to read if you like a certain TV show. I want to fix that, so I'm starting with my favorite TV show, "Doctor Who." The cool thing is it works both ways; If you like "Doctor Who," now you have a whole bunch of new books to read that are similar to it. If you don't watch "Doctor Who," but like the books listed, now you have a new show to watch. ;) Enjoy!

1. Doctor Who: Who-ology by Mark Wright and Cavan Scott, Doctor Who: Official Guide on How to Be a Time Lord by the BBC, Doctor Who: The Krillitane Storm by Christopher Cooper

Reason: "Doctor Who"

I grouped these three together because they're all pretty obvious choices. Who-ology is basically the Whovian bible. It includes information on everything, from Classic Who to the regenerated series up to Matt Smith's era. Timelines, trivia, quotes, and more, it's an addictive read.

How to Be a Time Lord is fluff, fluff, fluff. It's full of pictures and quizzes and has a page for each companion, Doctor, and monster. It's a one night kind of book, great for bridging the gap between depressing novels, or if you just want to feel productive.

I only chose The Krillitane Storm because it's something I've read, but there are tons of DW fan-fiction books I wasn't even aware of. From Tennant to Baker to Smith and everyone in between, you can find all kinds of stories.

2. All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

Reason: Wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey

TIME TRAVEL. I won this book in a giveaway and went into it completely blind. It was an excellent surprise! It's fast-paced, unique, and so good. I couldn't put it down until I'd turned the last page. It's told through dual perspectives and has some fantastic (see what I did there?) plot twists that I hadn't seen coming. Highly recommended!

3. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Reason: Cyborg, sci-fi, the future, oh my!

The storybuilding in this series is a-maz-ing. You get sucked in immediately, and it refuses to let you go until you've read it all. And the characters? Fantastic. Hovercrafts and spaceships and new technology and other planets and droids and other sci-fi awesomeness. Cinderella is a cyborg. Rapunzel was trapped on a satellite. All these different twists on fairytales make the story familiar, but new and exciting. Just like Doctor Who. Everyone knows about Shakespeare, but what happens when you add a few real witches into the mix?

4. These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Reason: Romantic, outer space adventures

This was the first hardcore sci-fi book I read and loved, and this was before "Doctor Who" opened up my interests more. The whole story is set on a remote planet after Lilac and Tarver are the only survivors of a spaceship crash. (I do wonder why anyone thought naming a spaceship "Icarus" was a good idea, though.) Lilac reminds me of a young Donna Noble, and I love the witty banter between her and Tarver. It's a great, simple story with well-written characters.

5. Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Reason: Bizarre road trip w/ interesting creatures

Holy crap is this book weird. And I'm not talking weird like normal amounts of weirdness. I'm talking about garden gnomes that walk and talk and think they're Norse gods. And punk rock angels. And magic trumpets. This is a Doctor Who kind of bizarre that fans of the Russel T. Davies era will enjoy in particular.

6. Glory O'Brien's History of the Future by A.S. King

Reason: The future . . .

Glory O'Brien drinks a bat and suddenly she can see the future. Strange? Absolutely. But the strange parts of stories--and "Doctor Who" especially--tend to be the best parts. The future in "Doctor Who" tends to be very grim, and so is the future Glory sees. Getting to see what's ahead is often more of a burden than anything. It's a great story.

7.  Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Watterson

Reason: Best friends have wacky adventures

Who doesn't love the imagination in these stories? Everything from the transmogrifier to Calvin's time machine to the adventures of Spaceman Spiff keeps you laughing and turning page after page. The friendship that Calvin and Hobbes have is reminiscent of the Doctor and his loyal companion, always poking around and getting into trouble. They make friends and enemies, but at the end of the day it's the two of them against the world.

Do you watch "Doctor Who?" What books would you suggest for a Whovian looking for something to read? Leave a comment!