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What are your favorite stand-alone novels?

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Let the Right One InYesterday a reader asked us for suggestions of stand-alone novels. Admittedly, we were at a bit of a loss. It’s more common in urban fantasy and paranormal genres in general to be written in multi-book story arcs.

Some paranormal romance series are written in the same world, but each novel can work as a stand-alone. There are quite a few series that fall in this category, but two of the most popular are Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter series and Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series.

We posed the question to our Twitter followers, and many came back with “that’s a really hard question.” Everyone was wracking their brains trying to come up with great stand-alone books. (We did get a few suggestions for Stephen King novels and titles like John Ajvide Lindqvist’s Let the Right One In.)

This one needs more time, and a public response. So, readers, please help us out: What are your favorite stand-alone novels?

11 Responses to “What are your favorite stand-alone novels?”

  1. Karen says:

    Stand-alones I love:

    The Demon’s Librarian by Lilith Saintcrow (this is one of my favorite books period)
    The Blue Girl by Charles d eLint
    The Black Tattoo by Sam Enthoven (young adult)
    Necking by Chris Salvatore
    Salt & Silver by Anna Katherine
    The Reapers are the Angels by Alden Bell (an incredible, but very dark story)
    That Which Bites: The Julia Poe Vampire Chronicles by Celis T. Rono (an odd story that I liked despite how strange it was)

  2. This question is harder then it seems. All I have is this: all of Lynn Kurlands early stuff is great, while apart of a series, they each can be read as a stand alone. (They are paranormal romance/time travel books.)

  3. It’s hard to say favorites, but I read one recently that I loved!
    Monster by A. Lee Martinez

  4. Our friend at Harlequin just suggested we add LIAR by Justine Larbalestier to the list (the actual comment was “That book twisted my brain around…”).

    She also reminded us there are a bunch of paranormal/supernatural stand alone Silhouette Bombshells, available in ebook.

    Has anyone else read Liar? I haven’t, but I’m fully intrigued now.

  5. Amy from Harlequin says:

    This is a tough question since so many great books become series…

    My favorite book of 2010 so far is INSIDE OUT by Maria V. Snyder, a futuristic YA. A sequel is coming in 2011, but you can stop after the first book (ie there isn’t a cliffhanger ending). THE DEAD TRAVEL FAST is also a Gothic story from Deanna Raybourn. She writes the Lady Julia Grey historical mystery series and is a favorite around the Harlequin office! TDTF is different though, with hints of the paranormal.
    ~Amy

  6. brandileigh2003 says:

    North of Beautiful
    Blindsided
    Dark Song
    Sing me to Sleep
    Forbidden
    The Girl Next Door
    Flyway
    Tell me a secret
    Annexed
    Looking for Alaska
    Change of Heart
    Undone
    Amy and roger’s epic detour
    Before I fall
    Hold Still
    Cracked up to be
    Jumping off swings
    Twenty boy summer
    Nature of Jade
    By the time you read this, I’ll be dead
    After
    Hate list
    I know its over
    Crazy Beautiful
    Break
    Academy 7
    Speak

    (All YA)

    Brandi from Blkosiner’s Book Blog

  7. Lorena says:

    One of my favorite standalone UF/paranormal books is Robin McKinley’s Sunshine. This was published some time ago, so you can probably find it at your local library. A YA reprint came out earlier this year.

  8. Our friends at Del Rey/Spectra (they publish my favorite books this year — Stacia Kane’s Downside series) suggested we add the urban fantasy stand-alone NORSE CODE by Greg van Eekhout to the list.

  9. E&BFAN says:

    Cliche, but yes my fave will always be the first Vampire book I read…Bram Stoker’s “Dracula.” Given to me at a young age..about 12 or 13…my father knew I had a passion for these creatures…vamps. We would watch old movies with Lugosi and pretty much any paranormal we could enjoy. I was fascinated by them. Beauty, grace, and immortality, who could want more?

  10. amy says:

    The darkest part of the forest by Holly Black.

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