10. A Wrinkle in Time- Madeline L’Engle
This book is dear to me, because as a young reader it was one of the first to open up my world to more than reality. The possibilities and imagination that spawned from this illustration of time travel- an ant can travel from point A along a length of string to point B or it can simply bend the string and step from point A to point B instantly. I haven’t read that book in years and the magic of that illustration still lingers.
9. The Fountainhead- Ayn Rand
Remember how in your high school English class your teacher would assign books for the class to read and no one ever did except that nerdy kid in the corner? I was that kid, although hopefully a little more sporty and cute than the image that popped into your head. Anyways, The Fountainhead was one of those assigned books, and I so wish that my fellow students had chosen to actually read this one, but the length of this book was obviously too big an obstacle. This book was my first introduction to Ayn Rand, and, boy, was it a good introduction.
8. The Hobbit- J.R.R. Tolkien
Most of the world knows Tolkien’s work because of The Lord of the Rings movies. So even without having to crack open one of those three books, a person can get the impression of how those books can drag on a bit. By all means, I don’t say this to disparage the trilogy, because it is quite the epic tale, but I say it instead to contrast it to its prequel, The Hobbit. The Hobbit is a charming tale full of dwarves, dragons, and gold, as well as the first introduction to the one ring (can you see it flipping in the air over molten fire and a huge eye at the top of a tower suddenly swing towards the screen while Sam and Frodo look tired and hungry?). The Hobbit is everything you want in a fantasy tale, contained in one novel and sure to hold your attention through every page.
7. Anthem- Ayn Rand
Anthem is a novella that explores the notion of individuality. It is a quick read, but that does not stop powerful themes and ideas from emerging. It’s a great book to read if you’re looking to start a debate on philosophical ideals or need a break from another Dan Brown book.
6. The Screwtape Letters- C.S. Lewis
This book by C.S. Lewis is written from a demon’s point of view. Sounds pretty diabolical, but really it’s a bit of genius. This demon is fighting against Christianity and the dialog is rife with brilliant insights. This is a great book to get a different take on faith.
5. The Dark Tower Series- Steven King
Steven King is known for his horror stories, but The Dark Tower series is a deviation from his usual. It’s classified as dark fantasy- and it.is.so.good. As I read through it and was nearing the end, I started getting nervous. The story so far was extremely high class and it required a brilliant ending, but so often with books the ending fails to deliver. This one did not fail. This series had the best ending of all time. Yes, I mean that- out of every book ever written, The Dark Tower series has the best ending. Read it. The end.
4. The Wheel of Time Series- Robert Jordan
This is one of the best epic fantasy series of all time. It is also very epic, as in it’s too long for most people. Granted it is rather daunting, but it’s worth every page. The series isn’t even complete yet; the last two novels are due out in November of 2011 and 2012. However, I will already vouch for every book in this series. I get so wrapped up in the characters, and I so want the good guys to win that their every battle becomes my battle and their victory is my victory and their defeat is my bitter defeat.
3. The Malazan Book of the Fallen Series- Steven Erikson
Okay. I will not attempt to summarize this fantasy series. It is so complicated and I love it. I rarely come across a challenging read, but this series has blown my expectations of literature. The sad part is I almost gave up on the first book because I couldn’t quite follow what was going on and how all the characters intertwined, but it all fell into place at the end, kind of. And then I started the second book and it was completely new characters and locations, and I had to learn everything all over again, so I almost gave up again. Then the end of the book explained some things. And then there was the third book. And this book took the stories and happenings of the first two books and intertwined them in such a brilliant way. Think of it as weaving a canvas- there is one string going in this direction and another following seemingly another pattern, but once the canvas is finished, one can see how those two strings are vital to each other and to the whole pattern. Now that’s just the first three books. There is a total of ten books. It is worth reading them all. I also have to point out that the characters in these books have such meaningful relationships of friendship and loyalty, that I cannot count the times I laughed out loud or brushed a tear away. Steven Erikson, thank you for blowing apart my expectations of literature.
2. Pride and Prejudice- Jane Austin
This is such a classic book, and one you will find on all sorts of Top Ten Lists. While Pride and Prejudice is a fantastic look into the era of Jane Austin, I would encourage those of you who have already read this book to branch out into other Austin books. Her wit and skill at crafting characters is, by no means, limited to her most famous work.
1. The November Lands- Luke J. Manthei
I have to admit a little bit of bias on this choice since I am Luke Manthei’s biggest fan. However, this is a great post-apocalyptic novella that explores issues of self preservation, racism, and the mystical. The ending is a perfect setup for a sequel, and hopefully the world will see that sequel soon.
