My Favorite Standalone Novels

As a massive fan of fantasy and science fiction, I naturally read more series than standalones. However, I promise that I do read standalone books from time to time! So to prove that I do enjoy them, I’ve compiled a list of just a few of my favorites. Now I’m sure I’ll be constantly adding to this list as I read more books, but as of right now, these are my faves!

---

Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

This is one of my most recent reads and I absolutely loved it. It was sweet, cute and gave me all of the wanderlust. I’m dying to go to Florence now and eat some gelato, like tomorrow. Really.

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

This was such a wonderful retelling of the origin of the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland. I don’t know what it is about Meyer’s writing but she just has this ability to immediately draw you in and leave you begging for more.

A Million Junes by Emily Henry

I’m sure at this point, y’all are tire of hearing talk about how much I loved this book. But I’m sorry that I’ll never stop talking about how good it is! Actually, I’m not really sorry because this book is amazing, and so was her debut novel, The Love That Split the World. Henry is my new auto-buy author and I recommend everyone picking up her novels!

Revenge and the Wild by Michelle Modesto

This book is just so much fun! It’s basically a genre mash-up of paranormal, fantasy, western, and historical fiction. Seriously, what more could you want in a book? I definitely recommend this one for anyone looking for a quick and entertaining read that doesn’t take itself too seriously.. Plus that cover, y’all!

The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner

If you’re okay with a book breaking your heart, pick this one up. Zentner absolutely killed it with this debut. I haven’t gotten around to picking up his latest novel, but I know it’ll be just as good. The friendship portrayed is this book is one of the best ones I’ve ever read, for sure.

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Now this is one of those books that either people absolutely love (like me!) or they hate it. But I think if you recognize it as a satire of Harry Potter and the “Chosen One” trope before picking it up, it makes it much more enjoyable. I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was funny and clever and I will forever ship Simon and Baz. Those two are the ultimate OTP and I will fight you on that!

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

I just read this one earlier this month and absolutely loved it. For a literary fiction, Towles’ writing style makes this such a fast-paced read and extremely engaging. He also created such amazing characters and I only wish they were real people. Count Rostov has become one of my most favorite characters that I’ve ever read.

The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge

I think at this point we can officially say that Hardinge has one of the most creative and unique story minds. Her books are all so original, especially The Lie Tree. I read this last year and can definitely see why it won awards. This one is all about take-charge females and definitely challenges the social norms of the 19th century.

Lost Stars (Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens) by Claudia Gray

Even if you aren’t really a Star Wars fan, I still think this is one science fiction novel that you’ll enjoy. It follows brand new characters who live through the original trilogy and experience it from opposite sides of the Rebellion. Claudia Gray is phenomenal when it comes to writing engaging science fiction and definitely proves it yet again with this book.

The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic by Emily Croy Barker

Now this is apparently being continued as a series, but as I’ve not heard any updates for a couple of years, I’m just going to count it as a standalone for now. I really enjoyed this one back when I read it when it first came out. It’s got dashes of A Discovery of Witches and a hint of The Magicians all rolled into one.

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

I absolutely adored this story. I thought it was whimsical and such a great tale about fae, that actually embraces the dark side of these magical creatures. I am so sad that this is only a standalone because there’s so much more to explore in this world!

---

What are some of your favorite standalone novels? Have you read any of the books on my list? If so, what did you think of them? Do you prefer standalones or series more? What are some other standalone books that you recommend?