It's All Alphabetical - I

We are lucky enough to have some pretty awesome book lovers in our lives, and nothing makes us happier than getting good recommendations from them. In the spirit of that, we asked our friends to play the alphabet game with us and tell us exactly why you needed to be reading these books. So, here we go! Here are the I books that come recommended from highly trusted sources.



(A, B, C, D, E, F, G & H Lists)

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I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Mariela says: Because it has a lot of action and the Loriens kick ass so much! ALL of the Lorien girls in this series are strong, kick ass chicks, even the youngest one. They won't let anyone screw with them! This series will shock you with so many twists. It will made you cry and laugh and want more! All the characters are great! Even the evil Mogs! 

In the beginning they were a group of nine. Nine aliens who left their home planet of Lorien when it fell under attack by the evil Mogadorian. Nine aliens who scattered on Earth. Nine aliens who look like ordinary teenagers living ordinary lives, but who have extraordinary, paranormal skills. Nine aliens who might be sitting next to you now. The Nine had to separate and go into hiding.

The Mogadorian caught Number One in Malaysia, Number Two in England, and Number Three in Kenya. All of them were killed. John Smith, of Paradise, Ohio, is Number Four. He knows that he is next.

I AM NUMBER FOUR is the thrilling launch of a series about an exceptional group of teens as they struggle to outrun their past, discover their future—and live a normal life on Earth.
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The Ill-Made Mute by Cecilia Dart-Thornton

Holly says: Because she weaves in beautiful use of old Celtic lore, and there are small folkloric stories within the larger picture. This first book is part of trilogy that features one of my favorite fictional men, Thorn, and the love story that the reader becomes part of is magical. I long for a love that burns so. On that note, the prose is lovely, but not always accessible to modern audiences, and the romantic plot is second fiddle to the overall story. 

This first title in a new trilogy, set in a world of legendary creatures, introduces the least of the lowly--a mute, scarred foundling, unaware of who she is or why she is wandering the dangerous landscape. Fortunately, an old female servant takes her in and protects her. As she grows, she finds friends in this strange land, and together, they set out to find her name, her past, and her future. _____________________________________________________________________

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Nina says: Because it's such a unique mix: vampires, zombies and humans in a dystopian world. Plus, there are twists and turns on every page that will blow your mind. 

To survive in a ruined world, she must embrace the darkness…

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a walled-in city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them—the vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself dies and becomes one of the monsters.

Forced to flee her city, Allie must pass for human as she joins a ragged group of pilgrims seeking a legend—a place that might have a cure for the disease that killed off most of civilization and created the rabids, the bloodthirsty creatures who threaten human and vampire alike. And soon Allie will have to decide what and who is worth dying for… again. _____________________________________________________________________

Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi

Betsy says: Because it was a wonderful ending to the series and let's face it: Aria and Perry are just plain adorable and who can forget my Roar!!! 

The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do—and they are just as determined to stay together.

Within the confines of a cave they're using as a makeshift refuge, they struggle to reconcile their people, Dwellers and Outsiders, who are united only in their hatred of their desperate situation. Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. Then Roar arrives in a grief-stricken fury, endangering all with his need for revenge.

Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble an unlikely team for an impossible rescue mission. Cinder isn't just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival--he's also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most.



In this final book in her earth-shattering Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi raises the stakes to their absolute limit and brings her epic love story to an unforgettable close. _____________________________________________________________________

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Dawn says: Because it is a beautifully written story about a girl and her terrible loss. Have the tissues ready! And, on the plus side, it's a movie now! 

Just listen, Adam says with a voice that sounds like shrapnel.

I open my eyes wide now.
I sit up as much as I can.
And I listen.

Stay, he says.

Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones: Stay true to her first love—music—even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind?

Then one February morning Mia goes for a drive with her family, and in an instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone, except one. And it's the only one that matters.
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Industrial Magic by Kelley Armstrong

Anny says: Because it is a definite must read. The first book where you really get to know Paige and Lucas, so you just can't miss out! 

In the aftermath of her mother's murder, Paige broke with the elite, ultraconservative American Coven of Witches. Now her goal is to start a new Coven for a new generation. But while Paige pitches her vision to uptight thirty-something witches in business suits, a more urgent matter commands her attention.




Someone is murdering the teenage offspring of the underworld's most influential Cabals—a circle of families that makes the mob look like amateurs. And none is more powerful than the Cortez Cabal, a faction Paige is intimately acquainted with. Lucas Cortez, the rebel son and unwilling heir, is none other than her boyfriend. But love isn't blind, and Paige has her eyes wide open as she is drawn into a hunt for an unnatural-born killer. Pitted against shamans, demons, and goons, it's a battle chilling enough to make a wild young woman grow up in a hurry. If she gets the chance. _____________________________________________________________________

It Had to be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Allyson says: Because Phoebe and Dan are two people that are absolutely meant to be together. Plus, this book kicks off the Chicago Stars series, easily one of the best sports romance series out there. 

What if a woman who knows nothing about sports inherits a professional football team? The Windy City definitely isn't ready for Phoebe Somerville, the outrageous York knockout who’s taking over their home town team. And Phoebe is definitely not prepared for the Stars' head coach Dan Calebow, a sexist jock taskmaster with a one-track mind. This is the book that began it all. The Chicago Stars are about to take the field... and they’re not the only ones playing for keeps. _____________________________________________________________________