The Bookshelf is a new content section on Veritaserum which will highlight and promote other, non-Harry Potter books that we think Harry Potter fans might like. Here's how it works: Veritaserum will publish a number of reviews in The Bookshelf section. After reading the review or after reading the reviewed book, you can come to that book's thread here in the forums to discuss it. Or, if you're just considering reading it, you can use the thread to find out whether or not you would enjoy it.

If you'd like, you can also submit your own book reviews. Just e-mail Matthew Heck through the feedback form for more information.

Use this thread to let us know which books you'd like us to review next. They can be absolutely anything. They don't have to be at all related to Harry Potter. Feel free to suggest books ranging from His Dark Materials to The Audacity of Hope -- there's something in a book for everyone!

You should review the Maximum Ride by James Patterson. So far there are three: The Angel Experiment, Schools Out-Forever, and Saving the World and other Extreame Sports. They're really good.

Yeah me first post lol!

I love those books!
Anyways, another series is Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. The second is called New Moon, third, Eclipse. These are more for girls, honestly. And they're good, too, especially because she's going to write a lot of them. They have vampires in them too. So that makes them even more appealing.

Oooh, that sounds good!

I know none of you really asocciate with the deaf, but the book "Deaf Child Crossing" is a super book. It is written by Marlee Matlin, and she's completly deaf. If anyone here want's to understand the pain of being deaf, here's the book. I am deaf myself.

That really sounds interesting. I think I might read it. I like seeing things from other's perspectives. And I swear I don't mean to be insensitive, but I honestly think you're lucky. And I just thought of something, you should write a book!!

___________________
Books by Sarah Dessen are really good too. There isn't a series. A few are This Lullabye, The truth about forever, Dreamland, and Just Listen and there's more. They're also for girls, in my opinion. But they're really good! Every character is so different, it's unbelievable that the same author wrote them. It's great. The characters have so many deminsions, it's as if it's your best friend thats telling the story. And the story's so different. It never feels like you're reading another book of hers.

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen. Gotta love this book. Many of you may have seen the film with Keira Knightley, but it's not very true to the book. The BBC-series, though, are much better. But still it's nothing like reading the book at all. This book is... magic.

I loved Pride and Prejudice

I'm going to put my 2 knuts worth in on a book that I bet a lot of people have read, and that's The Da Vinci Code......pure hokum, bliss

Oh, I love these books!



I'm in the middle of the first one. So far its excellent!

Has anyone ever read The Clique series by Lisi Harrison? These are for girls but they are SO GOOD! Same with Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares. Really good and deep, if you like books about friendship.
I just finished a really great book called Waves by Sharon Dogar. It's really deep and mysterious, plus romantic (I love romance books!). You guys should try it. Well, girls.

For guys, well, Eragon. I know, everyone's read it probably, but thats basically the only book I've read for guys.

OOH, I tried reading The Da Vinci Code, but I got confused. So I watched the movie, and it was one of the best I've ever watched!

Rachel

Book I of the Bartimaeus Trilogy:
The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud

...and, of course, Books II and III

If Harry Potter fans haven't read them (no doubt they have), they should. It'll fill the void left by the end of DH.

Oh my gosh!!! Those books are amazing!!!!
I'm on Twilight right now and its so good!!! Harry Potter used to my only favorite series but now I have two!!! It's so suspenseful and wonderful!!!!!

Oh yess amazing book, absolutely loved it. I watched the film when it came out, but it was nowhere near as good as the book. I love classics...
Jane Austen is just an amazing author.



Oh yess i really liked The Da Vinci Code, even though i didnt quite believe it, but it was extremely interesting, and the movie was good too,

...

How about...

Jane Eyre
The Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz (starting with Stormbreaker, Point Blanc, Skeleton Key, Eagle Strike .....)
Young Bond series by Charlie Higson
Great Expectations by charles dickens

I'll be back with more of my favourites.

Ahh!! I need the second book! I absolutely LOVED Twilight. Stephanie Meyer is a COMPLETE genius. It probably comes second after Harry Potter, it was so good. And I would totally date Edward Cullen!

Rachel

Some of these books sound really interesting. I might try and read them someday.

One book I love is called Melissa, Queen of Evil written by Mardi Mcconnochie and a sequel is due to be released. I also like the Faraway Tree series by Enid Blyton

^ ooh yes that used to be my favourite book when i was 8 years old, i lovedd the faraway tree.

My favourite books other than Harry Potter would have to be, the Serpent's Egg trilogy.
the Serpent's Egg
The Burning Crown
The twisted Blade
all by J. Fitzgerald Mccurdy.

Another great series of books is the seventh tower series by Garth Nix.
the seventh tower series.

The Fall
Castle
Aenir
Above the Veil
Into Battle
The Violet Keystone

they are all by garth nix.

Well I really like the book "Bass Ackwards and Belly Up". It's kind of a girl book, but I really liked it.

I also liked "Here Today" by Ann M. Martin. Again, a girl-type book, but REALLY GOOD!

I love Twilight and New Moon, I'm currently waiting for Eclipse to come in for me. Basically I love anything fiction! A good series is Magyk by Angle Sage, it concists of Magyk, Flyte, and Physik! It's really good, I just finished a book called The Faerie Path, it was good too.

One of my favorite books is The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer, it's set in the future and is about this boy named Matt who's a clone of this like150 year old rich drug lord. Clones are thought of as completly disgusting and are treated like animals by most people. This is a really, really, good book, it's won three awards. Also this book could maybe generate an intresting discussion

Someone else mentioned the Bartimeaus Trilogy books earlier, those are really good and they make me laugh and are really exciting.

The Twilight books are good too, and Edward is amazing and I am in love with him.

Poison- By Chris Wooding is a really good book that not many people have read, it is amazingly suspenseful and has parts where your just holding your breath waiting for what will happened next, and some parts are really scay and transport you right with the main character. It's kind of a fairy tale with lots of twists. And some parts are just terrifying.

Okay I just have to say one more thing about Twilight...
I was reading the second one in B&N and the beginning is sad and I started to cry, and this one guy hands me a tissue and people start staring at me and I'm like "its the allergies around here. My eyes are all watery. Don't mind me!" Yeah just thought you might like to know....



hey I was going to read that! But I wasn't positive I should.



Hey I was going to read those books too! What are they about?

Another REALLY awesome series is The Clique by Lisi Harrison. It's more girly but it's awesome. So far there is

The Clique
Best Friends for Never
Revenge of the Wannabes
Invasion of the Boy Snatchers
The Pretty Committee Strikes Back
Dial L for Loser
It's not Easy Being Mean
Sealed With a Diss

The new one is coming out in February,its called Bratfest at Tiffanys.

Ohh, all thses books sound so good! I have to try all of them!

Rachel

Magyk is the first and its about a boy who is abudcted at birth for a reason you later find out, and the Heaps (the family in the book) are given a little girl from the Extra Extrodianary Wizard. They are to keep her safe. The whole point is that the 7th son of the 7th son is supposedly really really powerful. Its a great series though.

The Clique to me sounds a lot like Gossip Girls which I love, and cannot wait for the show to come out, and A-List, which is also great.

How about 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' by Lemony Snicket 'a.k.a Daniel Handler. I don't know about you guys but I thoroughly enjoyed these books and I strongly recommend anyone above the age 10 should read it.

Crucio I agree, Series of Unfortunate Events was really good. I still haven't read "Letters to Beatrice" which is like some sort of ending for that book series.
There is this one series, I just thought of it, about wiccan witches, its really,really good. Its called Sweep. If I can get the author I will post that. But its a really interesting series.

Oh, I love Sweep! I also LOVE Gossip Girl, the Clique, and the A-List.

Another good book is The Insiders Girls. It's about these girls who deal with their crushes, and being famous and stuff. It's a really good book! There's also a series about the guys just called the Insiders.

I agree! I love Gossip Girls, It Girl and Alist.
I just thought of another series.
Its called Mates,Dates... its about four British Teens and how they deal with life, crushes, and fitting it. Its really good and humurous. The characters are all quite different too. But overal its really cool.

OOh sounds awesome! And The Clique is exactly like Gossip Girl, except the people in it are younger. Oh, and thanks for telling me what Magyk was about, I was really curious.

Sweep sounds pretty cool too.

Oh, I read The Series of Unfortunate Events. That is THE BEST mystery book ever (well, books). But the 13th didn't really explain all that much, did it?

Okay, ONE more thing about Twilight. Well, Eclipse. I was reading in the newspaper that Eclipse sold more copies than Harry Potter 7 on its FIRST day. Can you believe it? I'll show you the article if you want.

<3 Rachel

I read every genre except horror, so I have a wide field to pick from.

My top pick is Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy, by Douglas Adams.
It's so quirky, clever and amusing.
This has to be a must regardless of age, sex, etc.

I also think must reads include: Of Mice and Men (Steinbeck), and To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee).
For 16+ there’s' also Time travellers wife (Audrey Niffenegger) and Dr Zhivago (Pasternak).

There are so many good books out there - too many to mention.
I love book review's, please let me know when you pick which book to review.

Seriously! that Eclipse sold more than HP. I have heard it called by boreders online the next Harry Potter. Which it very well could be. I don't know. But I have the book on order and it hasn't come in yet cause its on hold for like a bajillion people. And I'm getting mad cause everyone else in the world has read it lol.
Oh and by the way, Rachel. I love your twilight icon!

Tentatively, my next book to review is going to be "Little Women." It's quitttee a large book though, so it's taking me a bit longer. Also, school just started so my time is very limited.

Honestly, and despite it's obvious female-orientation, I've actually wanted to read that book for a while. I guess there's always a time to start!

Also, just because I'm not replying to ideas does not mean I'm not considering them! Hitchhiker's Guide would be wonderful to do and I'm also currently trying to get "Deaf Child Crossing." It's a very intriguing looking book. Those are just two of the ideas off of the top of my head. If I didn't mention your idea, it does noooot mean that I won't do it.

Thanks!

Oh, I love Little Women!

oh Wow, I didn't realize how many people have already read Twilight, The Clique, and Sarah Dessen books. They're really good, but all very girly. The more I think about, the more I realize, I read girly books. Well, I'm a girl, so it doesn't matter, but I never noticed that before.

Oh, another girly book to add to the girly books list, a series called confessions of Georgia Nicholson Anyone read those?

I love Eragon [and the movie was horrible!] and Eldest. Does the third one come out December? I hope so.

Pride and Prejudice was really good too. I bought Emma by Jane Austen, I just haven't read it yet.

I like Catcher in the Rye, although, many people really hate that book. I thought it was great. He's a boy who doesn't want to hurt people but everyone acts so "phony" and he can't cope with growing up. He's misunderstood too. It's great. The book I mean, not him being misunderstood.

To Kill A Mockingbird, a classic and great!

The Alchemist is a really good book too. It's about personal goals and not forgetting your dreams.

Another series, it's not "girly" but more girls read it. And don't judge the books by the name, the name is kind of silly. the first one is Uglies, 2nd, Pretties and 3rd, Specials. Read them, they're great!

The Midnighter's series by Scott Westerfeld. It's soo good.

It's wierd, I've read so many books, but when it comes to naming them, it feels impossible.

Besides the Harry Potter books, I love to read Mary Higgins Clark books. She is an amazing author with her detail and suspensful writing. I can never put one of her books down. Some of her best ones are:

Loves Music, Loves to Dance
All Around the Town
Two Little Girls in Blue

I also really like Meg Cabot. I love the Princess Diaries series and the Mediator series.

This a very nice thread and a fantastic idea.

How about if we review a classic one and then a contemporary one, you know in turns? Reviewing the classic ones could also help the younger ones here who may be discussing those books in school and for us older ones it would just be really interesting.

I'm all for Jane Austen books. I also liked Little Women. And while I'm at it, how about North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell? BBC has also made a nice serie out of it.

For contemporary books: I just read The Sovereign by C.J. Sansom, a Matthew Shardlake mystery and it's a very good historical novel.

Or Imperium by Robert Harris.

wow. I love Mary Higgins Clark too. I think my favorite book by her was Two Little Girls in Blue. Have you read her latest one..."I've heard that song before" I'm just starting it. And its pretty good so far.

Good choice! I've never read Little Women before but have always wanted to as well. I suppose I was always put off by the sheer size and the fact that I already know the ending (everytime I think of Little Women I always picture Joey from friends putting the book in the freezer!)


I'll make a concerned effort to read it so I can comment.

Ooh, I read Little Women and loved it! I thought it was a very well-written novel. I'd read it again!!

I also really liked the book Hattie Big Sky. It's about a girl living in the "olden days" who tries to make it on a farm and have her own plantation. I loved it so much!

Heey,

Little Women is amazingg!

And if you want more, i have the whole series, and they get better and better..this is how it goes:

Little Women
Good Wives
Little Men
Jo's Boys

4 wonderful classics, definitely a Must-Read.

So if you've spoilt the first for yourself, surely not the next 3 too?

Thanks,
~Vian

In this month I have read books only by Scott Westerfeld. His books are AMAZING!!!! The Midnighters series is awesome!!! Book 1: The Secret Hour, Book 2: Touching Darkness, Book 3: Blue Noon. There great!! Also the Uglies series. Book 1: Uglies, Book 2: Pretties, Book 3: Specials, Book 4: (coming out in October) Extras. I got So Yesterday today (and I'm almost finished with it...) He also wrote 2 other books (as far as I know) Book 1: Peeps and Book 2: The Last Days.

Hmmm...Little Women...always wanted to try it, but I can't seem to find it anywhere. I'll definetly look for it now!



OOOh The Uglies are pretty good, I guess, but it's not THAT great. The romance in that is a little weird but overall it's a really great plot.




Thanks ILoveHarryPotter07! Oh, and I think Eclipse sold more in STORES, but Harry Potter was pre ordered more. But thats just in the USA. I don't know if Twilight books are sold world wide, are they?

I'll read Little Women and get back to all of you on that!

<3 Rachel

I absolutely LOVE this thread!!

I'm in the middle of the Twilight Series at the moment.. I just finished New Moon and I'm currently searching for someone who has Eclipse so I can borrow it (that's the curse for living in a small town... no bookstores!). Oh, and Rachel, Twilight is translated into 12 different languages.. and I love your Avatar!! I'm soooo in love with Edward Cullen too!! Stephenie Meyer is totally awesome!!!!

I tried to read Little Women.... but it annoyed me too bad.. I know sad right?!?

Anyway... I'm really into fiction and Historical Fiction and some of my favorites are:

Just Jane - William Lavender
Annie Between the States - L.M. Elliott
Fever 1793 - Shannon Hale

Just Jane is placed in the middle of the Revolutionary war... Jane comes to America from England and is caught in the middle of it... awesome book!! Fever 1793 is right after it during the outbreak of Yellow Fever... It's short but good!!! Annie Between the States is during the American Civil war.... it's also really good.. All of these books are more for girls though.. I tend to go for those !!

-Kelsea

Decidedly nothing wrong with your spite for Little Women. I say trifles to their petty affairs.

After you've read the greatest cloak-and-wand story of all time, read the greatest cloak-and-sword novel--The Three Musketeers, by Alexandre Dumas, translated by Richard Pevear (the very best translator of the 16th or 17th-century French). One of my best, gallantest & most hilarious books.

While you're at it, Jane Austen wrote more than Pride & Prejudice--she wrote Persuasion. I'm reading Sense & Sensibility and I'm not wrapped up in the story--pure blasphemy as that's J.K. Rowling's favorite Jane Austen. I shall endeavour to mop up my sin.

Adalia, it was no different for me, and I've never been able to explain it. I loved Pride & Prejudice, I loved Persuasion, but Sense & Sensibility put me to sleep!

I really enjoyed Alexandre Dumas' Count of Monte Cristo, too! Another 19th-century author I love is George Sand--though her novels aren't easy to find, as she was a French author and controversial. Still, some of them can be found round and about. Her take on women was so different from most of the females written of in that time--her heroines may have fallen from grace, but they didn't curl up and die--they were survivors! Such a nice change from Dickens' feeble, fainting females. Maybe that's because George (real name was Aurora) was just such a survivor. Adalia, thanks for recommending that translator, I will look for him!

A series I heartily recommend is the "Odd Thomas" series by Dean Koontz. Odd Thomas (yep, Odd is his first name!) is a twenty-year-old fry cook in a growing California desert town. He has some unique 'gifts,' the main one is that he can see and communicate with ghosts. He tries to help them. He also sees evil spirits which are not ghosts, and when they swarm, he knows something really bad is going to happen. When he sees a weird man in town who has these evil spirits slithering about him, he knows he can't just stand by--he has to act.

Dean Koontz has a wonderful writing style. He has such love for his characters that you can't help but love them too! And I adore the way he writes women--like he respects and loves women very much.

The series is:

Odd Thomas
Forever Odd
Brother Odd

Hope someone gives those a try!

Oh, Darcy, I love The Count of Monte Cristo. I read it three times. And if you're into Alexandre Dumas read The Three Musketeers (sp in engl.?). Such an amazing book, much better than all the films ever made.

I never read George Sand but after your description I'll really try it. If you're interested in strong female characters from a different century, try Theodor Fontane, Effi Briest isn't a strong female character but Lene of 'Irrungen, Wirrungen' is. I'll try to find the English translation for that.

I think as we all like Little Women so much I will soon read it and then we hopefully can discuss it in here.

Got to have The Lord of the Rings here! I'm sure that many people here are already familiar with the story (if you've only seen the movie, you have to read the book -- one of the best things ever written), but nobody's mentioned it yet so I'm throwing it up on the list. For those who are put off by the length, The Children of Hurin was published posthumously this year, and I think it's a great first Tolkien book. It's more stylistically similar to The Lord of the Rings than The Hobbit, the story is very powerful, and it's also pretty short. I read it in two weeks, while The Lord of the Rings took three months.

For the military history readers in the house, anything by Jeff Shaara is amazing. My favorite so far is Gone for Soldiers, which is a fictionalized account of the Mexican-American war told from the perspective of major commanders (and captains who later went on to play important roles in the American Civil War) from both sides. The books look long but they read really quickly. The Killer Angels by Jeff's father Michael Shaara is also good.

Right now I'm in the middle of reading The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman, which is about the first month of World War I. It gives very thorough coverage of all the diplomatic and tactical decisions made by the French, British, Russian, and German commanders, and so far I love it (though it takes a fair amount of concentration -- I've been working on it for two weeks and I'm only about halfway through).

The Count of Monte Cristo is one of the many books on my looooong waiting list. I have a huge issue with libraries where I check out a huge pile and then renew them online over and over and over again and never get through all of them. This problem increased tenfold when I started reading Tolkien, because he wrote so much and other critics wrote so much about him and his work, I'm convinced that Middle-earth could sustain you for a lifetime if you wanted it to. But anyway, maybe if The Count of Monte Cristo were reviewed I'd have some inspiration to actually read it!

Yeah Lord of the Rings is great.

I liked Battle Dress by Amy Efaw. It was about Westpoint, the American military college, and a girl who goes and everytihng she has to overcome in Beast the first horrible summer. It was really good.

I read Magyk, but I found it a bit too childish for my liking. I mean. the idea was ok, I just didn't like the way it was focused.

I have read the twilight series too. They're ok, I loved New Moon but I was sad with poor Jacob. I like that character. I wonder what's up with Bella too.

The most amazing books I've read so far are The Bronze Chanticles. As far it is a trilogy, but I believe Tracy Hickman is going to write ore about them. It's about three parallel worlds and their respective stories. I love the world of humans, where this guy is having weird dreams that... well, can't speak too much .

The eptalogy of Death Gate Cycle, simply FANTASTIC.

Neverwhere by Neil Gailman. One of my favourite books.

Saluts.

Silver.

Ack! Can't believe I didn't think of Lord of the Rings. It's one of those books that are a must read. I haven't found too many people who have managed to get through the trilogy without skipping pages...which in my mind is a crime.

Yeah, good call, Allie! LOTR is one of my all-time faves! Like Elaine, I can't believe I never mentioned it!

Olivia, I will write that one down, too! 'Tis getting to be the season for reading some good books! OK, it's only August, winter won't be in my neck of the woods for another few months, but still! Why not start my list now?

Silverfox_Moonhowl, I'll check out that Bronze Chanticles, too! Sounds interesting!

I know it's a children's book but I erm liked the Thief Lord
by Cornelia Funke.I'll have to add the other one to my list hold on a second

Harry'sSister- I love Corneila Funke books! I haven't read the theif lord. But I have read Inkheart and Inkspell. The second of which made me cry. But they are great books with a great story line.
I also pretty recently read A Great and Terrible Beauty and Rebel Angels. By Libba Bray. they have a great story line too.
And for people who like funny Vampire Novels, Vampire Kisses (series) is good. I finished the first one and I'm waiting for the others to come in.

how about reviewing the a series of unfortunate events collection
all 13 now there all done
i started reading them when i was younger and even though towards the end i became a little old to read them i wanted to find out the ending of the story.
its a great childrens book and good to follow the series and the story of the baudelaire orphans and how they find out who there parents really were
its excellent.

also for older people on here how about the dan brown books there excellent
and one of my personal favourites patricia cornwell with her dr kay scarpetta novels which are brilliant

wow this is an awsome section to add!!! (and by the way matt, u and i share the same last name im ashley heck!!) but back on topic, just the other day somone i work with who is also a potter fan brought me a book that he tought i might like since i am a potter reader.

and man he was right...... im only a few pages in but it is great so far!!!

ok ok so here is the name of the book it is the first in a series(the sword of truth) of six here it is..

WIZARDS FIRST RULE by TERRY GOODKIND

and the books that follow are...

STONE OF TEARS
BLOOD OF THE FOLD
TEMPLE OF THE WINDS
SOUL OF FIRE
FAITH OF THE FALLEN

here are some of the excerpts about the book...

"This firs novel (should) propel its auther to prominence. it has all the essential elements, a likable hero, a beautifull and mysterious woman, a thoroughly wicked villan intent upon conquering the world, a wise old wizard whose powers are fadding, and a host of minor villans and heroes, monsters and MAGIC,exotic settings and odd cultures. goodkind delivers a rousing, original and rewarding story." -SCIENCE FICTION CHRONICAL

"A very powerefull story with full-realized characters and memorable scenes that build as the story grows." -GORDON R. DICKSON

Mod Edit: Please note that using all caps is considered shouting and is not allowed on the forums. I have deleted your capitalised comments(with exception of the book titles) from your post. Thanks.