Tamara Beard
is the owner of Wrapped Up Writing, a business that provides editing,
proofreading, and content writing services. She has a Bachelor of Arts in
English, with a writing concentration and communications minor, from the
University of Tennessee at Martin. She currently lives in Nashville, and enjoys
reading, traveling, and volunteering in her spare time. Connect with her on her
website at wrappedupwriting.weebly.com or on Facebook (@wrappedupwriting).
With
hundreds of thousands of books being released each year, readers often have a
hard time choosing what book to read next. I know that I have over 500 books on
my Kindle alone that have not been
read yet. We will not even begin to try and count my paperback mountains. While
I am always excited to begin a new book, I am also anxious to see if it will
meet my standards. What standards, you ask? The standards set by my very favorite books. Every reader has
their own personal standard set by the books that changed, impacted, or moved
them in an unforgettable way. Luckily, I have come across many books that have
done this to me. However, five books in particular will always stand out for
one reason or another as a phenomenal Indie book. Not everyone will love them,
but their distinct features that I explain below are undeniable. Without
further ado, here are my five favorite Indie books.
#5. In the Air by Crystal
Serowka: If you are looking for a book filled with more than one kind of
passion, you have found it. The book was not perfect; however, it is obvious
that it has a creative and unique storyline that gives the author a lot of
potential. The romance in this book is sweet and suspenseful, but the couple’s
passion for ballet is inspiring and moving. Set in the city that never sleeps,
you will lay awake with anticipation of what the next page holds. Natalia and
Samson, the main characters, will not disappoint you as you laugh, cry, and
fall in love alongside them. Serowka sets herself apart from other authors with
her use of real-life situations—sickness and death, hopes and dreams, and the
rollercoaster of emotions that comes with being young adults—and the inevitable
real-life consequences. This is not just a romance, it is a look at the journey
of a girl who lost the love of a lifetime, but continued to grow through a love
for dance and unlikely companions.
#4. The
Edge of Darkness by Melissa Andrea: This book allows readers to step
inside a world that is unlike anything they have probably ever experienced.
While the author does not transport the reader to a different time or world,
the setting will be unrecognizable for many. Trapped inside the experiences of
a girl with a disability, readers can better understand the challenges,
embarrassments, and even hopes of the main character. All the while, a love
will begin to bloom that cannot be stopped by any darkness that gets in its
way. Araya’s differences may separate her from everyone else, but when Ryland
discovers what they are, he does not let them overtake her life. He shows her
that she can live her life to the fullest, regardless of these obstacles. As a
person who can relate to the main character’s struggles, I can say that Andrea’s
command of character development is unique, thorough, and entirely realistic.
This is a must-read for anyone looking for a story about the life of an
extraordinary girl and a romance that beats the odds. It will not only raise
the temperature with its passionate heat, but it will also touch your heart
with its real-life struggles and achievements.
#3. The
Grey Wolves Series by Quinn Loftis: I’m going to cheat a little here
and use an entire series instead of a single book. Why do I feel the need to
list the entire series? Because I love the series as a whole and believe that a
reader cannot truly see the entire value of this author’s writing unless they
have read three or four of her books. This series easily captures readers’
attention because of Loftis’s ability to overlay a natural, earthly landscape
with supernatural details. The author takes advantage of the unknown by
creatively mixing a foreign landscape and a magical world that are both
uniquely new to the reader. Due to her careful and thorough development of each
character, readers continue to crave more of each character. Not willing to
disappoint, Loftis continues to give each character a moment to tell their own
story in a personal, refreshing way. As this series will surely begin to draw
to a close, it continues to produce sweet, YA love that does not require heavy
bedroom scenes to demonstrate its authenticity. Full of joy, grief, love, and
hate, this series follows an entire family as they cling together through each
individual’s journey.
#2. FURY
by Fisher Amelie: I still have
a book hangover from this story… and I read it two years ago. FURY is a standalone novel of the Seven
Deadly Series. In this captivating series, Amelie takes each of the seven
deadly sins and crafts an emotional, descriptive story to demonstrate the
consequences of living out each sin, as well as how self-determination and love
can overcome that sin. With VAIN, GREED, and FURY already released and IDLE
on its way, these books are packed full of well-developed characters, significant
themes, and engaging plots that leave you craving more. I specifically love FURY the most so far because of Amelie’s
highly successful attempt to truly capture the sin. VAIN and GREED were
fantastic books, but in FURY you can
literally feel as the protagonist’s blood boils and emotions erupt. Ethan
becomes so consumed with fury that he cannot see straight, and readers try so
hard to speed read in anticipation that their vision begins to blur as well. As
the truly unique story idea and resonating themes keep me coming back for more,
there is no comparison to Amelie’s fantastic use of language, sharp wit, and
engaging descriptions.
#1. Collide by Shelly Crane: There are so many reasons why this will always be my favorite book. For
starters, this was the first Indie book I ever read. It is because of this
book, which I stumbled upon by accident, that I was introduced to the Indie
world. There are hundreds of wonderful people and phenomenal books that I never
would have discovered otherwise. However, that is not the only reason I love
this book. Crane artfully created an otherworldly scenario that kept readers on
the edge of their seats and begging for more. Full of plot twists and
complicated relationships, Collide is
a must-read paranormal romance perfect for young teens and mature adults.
Although this was Crane’s first novel, her creativity shines through in the
plot, setting, and especially character development. Since this release, Crane
has continued to write fantastic books full of original plot lines and
fantastical characters. As her success continues and her writing ability
reaches new limits, Collide will
always remain the starting point that definitively left its mark on the writing
world.
I hope this
list helped you decide what your next must
read book will be. If you happened to have already read all of the books
mentioned above, feel free to join me in reminiscing on how fantastic it was to
read them! Reading is a journey through which we experience, learn, and grow.
Just like in life, sometimes it is important to think back on wonderful
memories as a way to relive our past emotions and compare the past to current
experiences. For this reason, I always love discussing my favorite books and
the standards they seem to set for my reading experience. Do you have a
favorite book that I need to stick in my to
be read pile? Do we both love the same book? Let me know in the comments! I
look forward to some recommendations. Until then, happy reading!
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