You know the kind of books I'm talking about. The books that leave you blearily turning the page at 3 a.m., having lost track of which chapter you're on several hours ago. The books that cause that stomach-flop feeling of missing the last stair upon turning a page and encountering the vast tundra of wordless pages. These books leave you lost and wandering, waiting for a new series, one that just might be as good as the one you just finished. Well, look no farther my YA friends: your road map to better reading awaits you.

1. "The Iron Fey" series by Julie Kagawa.

Book's flap copy:

MEGHAN CHASE HAS A SECRET DESTINY—ONE SHE COULD NEVER HAVE IMAGINED…

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change. But she could never have guessed the truth.

For Meghan is the daughter of a mythical faery king…and a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

My two cents:

Ash stole my heart and ran away with this series, I mean, who doesn't love the broody, overpowered ice-prince? Nobody, unless they don't know a bona-fide broody ice-prince when they see one. The Iron Fey series, including their spin-off books, has about seven or eight books (one of which is a collection of short stories that take place between each of the three books in the original series). My point being that this vivid world will abduct you for a good little while. I've read the original series about three times now. Also, Julie Kagawa revitalizes an old literary character in this series, one who made his debut in Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Look for the prankster with red hair and green eyes -- you really can't miss him.

2. The "Hush, Hush" saga by Becca Fitzpatrick.

Book's flap copy:

Nora finds forbidden love with her fallen angel in the first in the New York Times bestselling Hush, Hush saga.

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along.

With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those who have fallen -- and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

My two cents:

The "Hush, Hush" series is one of my favorites. I read almost the entire series for the first time on the 14-hour flight home from Germany. I distinctly remember standing up in the aisle twice, switching out the finished book for the next in the box set. One cool thing is that Becca Fitzpatrick plays with the bad boy trope in this series, hard. We've got a dark-haired, dark-eyed fallen angel who wears only black, buys only black cars and motorcycles, he skips class and spends his time pool-sharking guys who think they're big baddies, not to mention the countless amounts of fights he gets into. I'll admit, Patch has made an appearance in my own silly writing, though he got cut from the final draft (sorry, Patch). Both times that I've read this series, I've finished it in less than two days.

3. The "Lux" series by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

Book's flap copy:

When 17-year-old Katy Swartz moved to West Virginia right before her senior year, she’d pretty much resigned herself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring, but then she spotted her hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up…until he opened his mouth. Daemon Black is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. It’s hate at first sight, but when a stranger attacks her and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens. The hot guy next door? Well, he’s an alien. Turns out that Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities and Katy is caught in the crosshairs. Daemon’s touch has lit her up like the Vegas Strip and the only way she’s getting out of this alive is by sticking close to him until her alien mojo fades. That is, if she doesn’t kill him first.

My two cents:

I've only read this series once, but that was partially due to an availability problem. I included this series on the list because of its incredibly unique brand of supernatural. The main love interest is an alien glowworm! Basically. The Lux are a type of alien that when seen in their natural form, they appear as bipedal beings made of light — little supernova people with personalities to match. To say they come on strong would be an understatement. What I found so interesting was the duality that Jennifer L. Armentrout dances around. The Lux's mortal enemy would be the Arun, which are beings made of shadow… See where I'm going with this? Needless to say, this series has no match -- I sure haven't heard of another YA romance with glowy aliens. Give these books a go; you won't be disappointed.

4. The "Newsoul" series by Jodi Meadows.

Book's flap copy:

New soul.

Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

No soul.

Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

Heart.

Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies — human and creature alike — let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

My two cents:

The Newsoul series was quite a feat for me. I was home on break from college when I saw this gorgeous book sitting on the coffee table. My aunt had bought this series for my stepmom. When I mentioned wanting to read it, she said I could, but that I wouldn't be able to take the books back to college with me, so I had to finish them by the end of my four-day visit. The series is a trilogy, all of the books averaging out to about 400 pages apiece. I accepted the challenge and devoured the books. Never have I come across as unique a story as this one. Romance is definitely one of the main pillars of the series, but don't be fooled! There's so much more to this story than that, and you have to read it! I can't wait for my next chance to reread it. I'll be taking my time the second time around.

5. The "Existence" trilogy by Abbi Glines.

Book's flap copy:

"I was supposed to die, but I didn't."

Throughout her life, Pagan Moore has seen souls. They don't speak to her but they know she sees them. It's a part of her life she keeps hidden from everyone else. She's different...

And he knows it.

Pagan begins seeing him everywhere. In her classroom and her bedroom. The soul is stalking her and she can't make him go away. Everything is different with him. Beginning with the fact he speaks to her. Just when she thinks he's gone, her world completely changes.

He is Death and he's about to break all the rules.

My two cents:

I read this series a couple years ago, and I read it very quickly on my stepmom's kindle, so unfortunately I haven't been able to re-read it. Saying I'm obsessed with death would sound too weird, so instead, I like to say that I find books that personify death — create a character out of death — to be the most intriguing. No one knows what death looks like, what gender, anything. Death is a blank slate, and Abbi Glines works a masterpiece on that slate. Plus, who doesn't want to read a book with the main character's name is Pagan?! Bold move, Glines. Bold move indeed. What are you waiting for? Take death for a spin.

If any of these series sounds interesting, click on the book cover. It'll take you to Goodreads' website and you can start the series for yourself! Also, every book pictured in this article is the first in the series. If you want more of these books, I'll be dropping another must-read list soon, so keep your eyes peeled! Happy reading, everyone!