Books For If You Still Miss Buffy

The return of The X-Files on UK TV this week got me thinking about nostalgia, and about my truest television love. Buffy. I was 10 when I started watching it regularly. I'd seen odd episodes before, but I began properly with season 5 when it aired on BBC 2. I watched the season 5 finale on the TV in the school library on parent's evening. I got the video boxsets for birthdays and Christmases and I once spent nearly 2 full days in my Godfather's dining room watching season 4 on a small TV while everyone else did other things, because it was the only season I hadn't seen and didn't own. I collected the magazines. I was All In. 

I still really miss Buffy. I've obviously rewatched it since it finished, but nothing compares to that joyful, exhilarating, first watch. So if you miss Buffy as much as I do, here are some books that will give you that feeling.

The Mortal Instruments - Cassandra Clare

A group of people with supernatural powers battling evil forces. Yep, sounds about right. Add in snappy, Whedonesque dialogue and diverse and totally addictive romance subplots and this is essentially Buffy in book-form. I read 3 of them in 3 days. 

Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead

There are good vamps and bad vamps. The good vamps battle the bad ones. Perfect. Rose Hathaway, your leading lady, is sassy, strong, back-chatting and fiercely independent. Sound familiar? There's a forbidden love to rival Buffy/Angel and a whole bunch of staking. You'll love it. 

Strange Angels - Lili St. Crow

Dru and her father travel the US hunting all manner of monsters. When Dru's dad comes home as a zombie, and Dru is taken under the wing of an enigmatic vamp, she realises there's a much bigger bad than the big bads she's been hunting her whole life - and Dru? She's special. Chosen, even. 

The Gallagher Girls - Ally Carter

A little side step here into the non-supernatural. The Gallagher Girls series is the youngest of my recommendations, and you can certainly see that in the first couple of books, but the friendship bond between the characters, the mentor relationships - totally reminiscent of the Scooby Gang. Plus, it's a bunch of extremely capable girls with mega and varied skills combatting crime - what more could you want? 

Graceling - Kristen Cashore

Katsa lives in a world where people can be born with certain abilities, called Graces, and hers is the ability to kill. This obvs makes her super badass and talented in the fighty arts. But she's also sassy and independent - mainly brought on by the fear and suspicion others treat her with. There's lots of chemistry with a raaather attractive male, and a super-interesting bad guy. It's also excellent entry-level fantasy. 

What books give you that Buffy feeling? Let me know!