Bookish Christmas Present Recommendations (Blogmas Day #8)

   Welcome to Blogmas day 8!
   Today I have put together a list of books that I think would make amazing christmas presents. I tried to have two options for each of the seven categories, resulting in 15 different books, and I hope I could help out at least one of you seeking for good recommendations. These are all YA books, since that's what I primarily read.

   #1 - A book for that friend who loves contemporary books and music

   For the Record by Charlotte Huang - This book is amazing. This book not only has a really amazing plot line and character, but it literally takes you on tour with a rock band through the eyes of the protagonist, who happens to be the new lead singer of said band. I've read, loved and reviewed this book a couple of months ago so I think it is a perfect mix of music and a
contemporary read. (review)

   This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales - This one is another amazing read that includes the love for DJing, which is something I've not read about in YA before I had picked up this one. It has sad moments, and the protagonist has a sad past, but it is never written about in that classical sobfest type of way. I really enjoyed this one so, if you have DJ friend who likes books, try this one.

   #2 - A book for that friend of yours that loves unreliable narrators

   The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin - How could I do a recommendations list and not include Mara Dyer? This is my favorite trilogy of all because it is the perfect blend of unreliable narrator, a sizzling romance, and an intriguing story. Mara is an amazing narrator, even though you will doubt everything she tells you, making this read lots of fun. It also holds a dash 
of paranormal in form of teens with powers, but not in some silly cliche way, trust me, this is a good one!

   Made You Up by Francesca Zappia - This is one of my favorite books of 2015 and features the ultimate unreliable narrator, Alex. She is a great protagonist, despite how unreliable she is, and her mental illness in portrayed perfectly and believably. The characters in this one are quirky and intriguing, so despite dealing with a hard topic this book still offered a lot of fun and humorous moments. (review)

   #3 - That friend who loves books that tackle important topics

   None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio - This book is about a girl who discovers that she is intersex, the first book I've ever read that talked about this topic, eve though it is so incredibly important. The book perfectly mixes informations regarding what intersex is and how you can live with it, how to accept it and so on, and a contemporary read offering a wonderful story with amazing characters. This book is extremely important so I think, if you have a friend who likes books with hard topics, definitely choose this one asap. If you're interested here is my review and interview with the author, it might help you figure out if this is the book for you.

   Lovely, Dark and Deep by Amy McNamara - This book takes on the complicated topic of grief and takes us along a journey during which the protagonist tries to deal with her grief, find her way back into life, even though it's definitely not the easiest of things to do. This book is incredibly realistic, emotional and important, in my opinion. In addition it looks lovely on a bookshelf thanks to that gorgeous cover. (review)

   Paint My Body Red by Heidi R. Klinger - Teenage suicide, it's all around us but people seem to speak about it was too rarely, especially in connection to school and pressure coming from your family. I think books dealing with these topics are incredibly important since they show how damaging growing up with constant pressure coming from your family, pushing you to your limits when it comes to school and extracurricular activities, taking away your childhood and free time, can be. Besides that, Paint My Body Red offers an amazing story and brilliant characters, a wonderful blend between hard topics and a summer that changes lives. (review)

   #4 - That friend that wants to get into fantasy

   Throne of Glass by Sara J. Maas - This was the first fantasy book I read after years of thinking that fantasy isn't for me. I enjoyed it a lot and was drawn into the world and characters, their stories and all the different things that were happening in this book. Sure, it didn't necessarily make me want to read more fantasy novels, 
but that's simply because fantasy truly isn't my thing, but there are thousands of people that swear that this series is amazing so I'm sure it's definitely worth giving a try.

   Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch - This one is another truly intriguing one that features a fantasy world split up in kingdom separated by seasons. Our protagonist and her friends belong to the fallen kingdom of Winter and try to win back their kingdom and its magic. It sounds awesome and the cover is gorgeous so why not try this one?

   #5 - That friend that's into sci-fi reads

   Forget Tomorrow by Pintip Dunn - Imagine a future in which your future self sends you back a single memory that shows you the life you are facing, be it a career in acting, sport or cooking. Now imagine the memory you receive doesn't show you a career but you committing a crime, a murder. If this doesn't sound intriguing, I don't know what does. The world in which the story plays is great and the characters are intriguing and three dimensional, and the romance is incredibly well executed. This is a great sci-fi read on a somewhat milder end of the sci-fi spectrum, perfect for those who want to get into sci-fi and those who already love the genre. (review)

   Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman - This book is amazing and incredibly unique in so many ways. Not only does the story feature an interesting plot, the most unique formatting and story telling way I've ever seen, but also a crazy AI and amazing characters. I could not put this book down while I read the ARC on my iPad and I cannot wait to hold the hardcover version in my hands. I could go on and on about how brilliant this book is and why you should definitely get it, but I will leave it at saying that this is definitely the perfect pick for sci-fi fans. (review)

   #6 - That friend that likes mysterious reads

   Bone Deep by Kim O'Brien - This book takes you along a journey onto archeological digging grounds where the protagonist, Paige, tries to figure out what happened to her friend Emily and why she disappeared. This book also contained a beautiful touch of Native American stories woven into it which only makes it more intriguing. The twist at the end is amazing and I definitely didn't see it coming, the romance is nice but doesn't take up too much space in the story. 
So, if your friend likes murder-mystery books with a spin to them, this might be the right one for them. (review)

   Never, Never by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher - This book, or rather the two current available novels that will form a complete book once the third one will be out, was written by two amazing authors who managed to create one hell of a mysterious and intriguing story that will leave you craving for more, along with powerful cliffhangers. Each time I picked one of the two up I couldn't out them away until I was done reading. So, if you're looking for a book that blends mystery with a dash of romance this one is exactly what you are looking for. (review)

   #7 - That friend that likes summer contemporaries

   Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson - I really, really enjoyed this book when I read it back in 2014. It has an amazing story and takes the reader along a road trip across the US where we get to see many interesting places through the eyes
 of the protagonist, Amy. This is a perfect summer read that I hope to re-read next summer, simply because it was just that good. Besides, Morgan Matson is a great author with an addictive quality to her writing style.

   Petty Little Lives by Alice Reeds - Yap, that's my book. It's a summer read so I took myself the freedom to include it on this list, in case your friends have not checked it out yet, or you didn't know about it. This one is all about summer, the value of family, overcoming differences and finding love in unexpected places. So for most of the reviewers quite liked it so maybe your friend will like it too.

   And this is it, those are all the books I prepared for you. As you can see I've read most of them, so be reassured that they are good ones, in my opinion. I hope I could help some of you out and if you think you have any other valuable recommendation you'd like to add, leave them in the comments below or tweet them at me, @Alice_Reeds.