Booked and binge-worthy
Today, I wanted to share some book recommendations that are similar to well-known and well-loved movies and TV shows. I love it when I find a book that gives me the same feelings that my favourite TV show does, or vice versa. I hope that you find a new book to read or a new movie to watch from this blog!
Gossip Girl and the Magnolia Parks series by Jessa Hastings:
If I were to describe Magnolia Parks in a sentence, it would be this: Gossip Girl, but set in London instead of New York!
Gossip Girl ‘focuses on a group of privileged teenagers who attend a prestigious high school in the Upper East Side of New York City. Gossip Girl chronicles the scandals and intimate details of the characters' lives during high school, college and in the years that follow’ (Wiki). It is full of drama, friendship, betrayal, complex relationships and family dynamics set in high society New York.
I found that the Magnolia Parks series by Jessa Hastings mirrored many of the characteristics of Gossip Girl. It is a 5-book series (ongoing) which ‘follows the lives of a group of extremely wealthy friends who are out of high school and live as if the world revolves around them, which in this case, it essentially does’ (thecollegereporter.com). The protagonists and narrators of the first book are Magnolia and BJ, whose relationship takes the forefront. ‘They are two of the richest, most influential people in London’ (thecollegereporter.com). We follow the intricacies of not only their turbulent relationship, but also the relationship that they have with their friends and family. It is much more than a romance book, in the same way that Gossip Girl is. You are transported into the lives of Magnolia, BJ and their friends in a way that makes you forget that they are just characters and not real people!
The characters in both Gossip Girl and Magnolia Parks have flaws, make silly human decisions and have real human emotions that are refreshing to watch and read about. The high society of New York and London are similarly described and presented too. If you are a fan of either this tv show or book, definitely check the other one out!
Hocus Pocus, Bridgerton and The Dangerous Damsels series by India Holton:
This is a bit of a funny one. I am combining a movie and a TV show to recommend a book series, which I think is the perfect mix of both.
Hocus Pocus is a fantasy comedy which ‘follows a villainous comedic trio of witches who are inadvertently resurrected by a teenage boy in Salem, Massachusetts on Halloween night’ (Wiki). I would say that there is humour throughout and that the witches’ characters are quirky, crazy and funny to watch.
Bridgerton is a historical regency romance series based on the books by Julia Quinn. It follows the siblings of a wealthy family as they ‘navigate the highly competitive social season; where young marriagable nobility and gentry are introduced to society’ (Wiki). I found it fascinating to be so immersed in the regency lifestyle as a viewer, engrossed in each character’s story through the different seasons of the show.
The Dangerous Damsels series (3 books) by India Holton takes the fun, fantasy elements of Hocus Pocus with the historical romance aspect of Bridgerton. ‘Victorian England is reimagined with the most dangerous of damsels- female pirates and witches- in this high-octane, hilarious series’ (penguinrandomhouse.com). The combination of the goofy fantasy elements and the Victorian England setting complemented each other so well and created a lighthearted, fun and entertaining read. If you enjoyed Bridgerton and Hocus Pocus, I really recommend this series.
Grey’s Anatomy and Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez:
With all of the main characters working in the medical sphere, this series and book have the same backdrop.
Grey’s Anatomy is ‘the high-intensity medical drama (which) follows Meredith Grey and the team of doctors…who are faced with life-or-death decisions on a daily basis. They seek comfort from one another, and, at times, more than just friendship. Together they discover that neither medicine nor relationships can be defined in black and white’ (Disney+). With the backdrop of the hospital, the characters form deep connections with one another as they experience grief, trauma and medical challenges.
Yours Truly is the second book in the Part of Your World Series and follows two doctors who grow from their initial, negative first impressions and form a beautiful pen-pal relationship. They have their individual battles, similarly to the characters in Grey’s Anatomy, and seek to understand and comfort one another. The writing in this book feels poetic, and to see how Bri and Jacob communicate with and support each other is heart-warming to read about. Some deeper topics are covered and approached with care, giving a deeper level to the book. If you love the setting of Grey’s Anatomy or Yours Truly and are drawn to the relationships and connections formed between the characters, this recommendation could be for you.
These are my recommendations for today. I really enjoyed writing this and would love to make it into a little series. If you have any other topics or things that I can give book recommendations for, please comment and let me know! Thank you for reading.
