dog-734689_960_720So I often talk about a lot of books and things of that note, but a few people have asked me about my favorites, and I thought now was as good a time as any to share a few with you.  I’m probably already talked about these in one way or another, but I think it’s a good idea to have them all in one spot.  After considering my options, I’ve decided to give you my top five, because everyone likes a good countdown.  These are my all-time favorite.  They are books I’ve read more than once simply because I love them.

Note:  I talk a lot about a lot of writers, and they’re all amazing.  This is my top five ever.  These are the books that I’d drag out of a burning building (and that’s saying something since we’re actually talking about 28 books in reality).  This isn’t to say I don’t like others.  I even love some.  But these are the ones I love most.

heaneybeowulf5)  Beowulf:  Probably the first book I was ever made to read in school that made me realize that books existed that I actually liked.  There’s a lot here in this story.  Beowulf is probably why I’m drawn to the types of characters to which I’m drawn.  I created a role playing character named in his honor.

4)What Men Live By, by Leo Tolstoy:  This is actually a short story, but any anthology of his work that includes this story is something I’ll read more than once.  I’m a huge fan of Tolstoy.  I usually find a way to weave him into my books, (including The Journals of Bob Drifter).  This story strikes a lot of chords with me, and is actually a very good case study for character and foreshadowing.  The message of this book is what drew me in.  I’ve loved it since the first day I read it.

mistborn-trilogy-ppb3) Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson:  I’ll confess.  I read this because I learned that Sanderson was finishing the Wheel of Time (see below).  I wanted to get to know him so I would just judge him on what he “didn’t do that I thought Jordan WOULD do.”  So I read his blog when he spoke about Jordan’s passing.  That alone helped me see what a good man he was.  Then I read Mistborn.  Game over!  He’s the best in the business.  He’s a brilliant writer and an amazing individual in the community of authors.  On my list of “writers whom I drop what I’m reading for,” he’s number one.

2) The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan:  I’ve read this series no less than eight times.  It’s a huge story with so many wonderful characters. I actually think readers are VERY polarized with Jordan and his work, but I love the series and can’t wait to see it in live action if it ever actually happens.

dragonriders-of-pern1) The Dragon Riders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey:  This has been my favorite series for decades.  I fell in love with Ruth.  I love the Master Harper.  It’s one of a few books I freely confess to openly weeping over while reading.  It’s so beautiful and touching.  The drama between characters just pulls in the reader.  The covers are simply amazing.  Every time someone asks, “If I want good fantasy, where do I start reading?”  This is my answer.

So this is short and sweet, but I thought I’d share.  I’ll probably drop a few more favorite five every now and then.  What are your favorite five stories of all time?  Post in the comments below.  I’m always looking for books to add to my TBR list.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Author

22 thoughts on “My Favorite Books”

  1. I don’t know that I could narrow down my list to a true top 5, but here’s my off-the-cuff list in no particular order:
    – Wheel of Time (I’m currently on book 6, and I already know it has and will change my life)
    – The Hobbit
    – Redwall (I haven’t read any of these since I was probably in middle school, but Salamandastron and The Long Patrol stick out to me as individual stories I particularly enjoyed and read multiple times.)
    – A Woman in Berlin by Anonymous, English translation by Philip Boehm
    – Journey into the Whirlwind by Eugenia Ginzburg

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    1. Honestly, I think once people get past their top two, it’s pretty fluid after that. I’m a HUGE fan of WoT (obviously). I’m unfamiliar with Redial and the other two at the bottom. I’d like to se your point of view on them. I’m always looking for great stories to read. What made those books stand out? Why?

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      1. I guess now I should do a post on these haha. Basically, Redwall is a children’s fantasy series I grew up on. The other two are autobiographies I actually read for a class in college as important (and largely unheralded) commentaries on twentieth century Europe. (History is the real fantasy.)

        Well, now you’ve done it! My Friday post is going to be about my top 5, because now I just want to talk about these works! Mind if I give a shout-out to this post as inspiration?

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  2. Top five books… A true challenge. One that I must rise to, however.

    1) The Gentlemen Bastards sequence by Scott Lynch. I was given a copy of The Lies of Locke Lamora by an acquaintance and have never stopped rereading them. They’re books that I can always go back to happily.
    2) American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Big, odd, meandering but manages to draw you in.
    3) Dune by Frank Herbert. The Spice must flow. I’m less keen on the prequels and sequels written by his son, but I can still quite happily lose myself in the universe.
    4) A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. Does what it says on the tin in a witty, irreverent manner.
    5) Night Watch by Terry Pratchett. I love all the Discworld books but this has to be one of my favourites.

    This is in now way my top five, as that list constantly shifts and shakes like an earthquake. But these five definitely stay close to the top.

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    2. I talk about Dune a lot in terms of writing and discussion. Even those who aren’t entertained by it still can pull a lot of good information from it because it’s simply so damn-well written.

      As for Pratchett, for me, it’s Tiffany Aching or bust. It’s clever, and it strikes a great chord with me.

      I love that this list is providing so many more lists. You all don’t know it yet, but you’re adding to my TBR pile.

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  4. Wow! Your book shelf looks almost exactly like mine. Except yours is white and mine is brown.

    My top favorite books:
    1) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin. (Ya, ya. I know.)
    2) The Wheel of Time -Reading these books opened up a whole world for me and made me realize that I love to read. I had been reading all the wrong things before.
    3) Walden by Henry D. Thoreau -the way he writes about nature just really speaks to me.
    4) Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson -the magic system was awesome and the story was great.
    5) Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell -A good classic British literature that I fell in love with in school. I wrote a term paper on it, so it’s hard not to love it when I spent so much time dissecting it.

    I could throw a handful of other Brandon Sanderson books in there like Elantris and Warbreaker, but I tried to have books by different authors in my top five.

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    1. I have to believe you’re read Mary Robinette Kowal. If you like Sanderson AND Austin, she’s someone you have to give reading time to. (Note, I like Emma myself.)

      I love your list. I know what you mean about Sanderson. I basically cheat ad say the Cosemere series. That way, they’re ALL on the list as one mega-series.

      Thanks for stopping by.

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  5. OOoooOOOooo ha top five in no order:

    – Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy
    – Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations
    – Kurt Vonnegut’s EVERYTHING (haha)
    – Tara K. Harper’s Wolfwalker series
    – AC Grayling’s The Good Book: A Humanist Bible

    Bonus Book: Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman’s Good Omens

    ….This was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. I chose books I continuously come back to over books I had just initially loved. ❤

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    1. I don’t hear a lot about these books, and I like knowing things. (Okay, I know about Vonnegut, and I read Meditations about two years ago after a friend loaned me his beat-up copy, but everyone else is sort of new to me). Would you mind talking about them and why those books stand out to you?

      I’m glad you had the time to stop by and turn my attention to so many new stories.

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  6. I don’t know if I can keep myself to 5, but here are a few favorites.

    1. The Mistborn trilogy, especially the first book, Mistborn.
    2. Ender’s Game
    3. The Dune series, especially God Emperor of Dune
    4. Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series
    5. Pet Shop of Horrors (manga)
    6. Hobbit & Lord of the Rings series

    I’m certain I’m forgetting some.

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    1. When you try to narrow it down, you always want to fight for one or two. In my experience though, one always shines through. It’s usually the one you compare the others to. It creates a standard. Where you say, “yeah, that was nice, but Mistborn was better.” Or. “Dude! That was amazing; it was even better than Mistborn!” When you do that, you create that book as a standard by which others are measured. For you, that’s Mistborn. And that’s a great book to have in your list.

      For my money, I actually like Speaker for the Dead MORE than Ender’s Game. They’re honestly two VERY different books, but I really loved them both. The trick is I don’t know that I’d have Speaker so high on my list if Game didn’t exist.

      Thanks for stopping by.

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  7. Wheel of Time is one of my ALL TIME favorite series. And WOW, eight times is a LOT! I’ve read through the first few books a few times, but the later entries I’ve only read once. I had planned to reread it again during my break, but I opted to tackle Malazan instead. I’ve been meaning to pick up Dragon Riders of Pern too. So many huge series I want to get to.

    Top 5 for me would be
    1.) Wheel of Time
    2.) The Cosmere (is that cheating? They’re all great and I’m super excited about the behind the scenes story)
    3.) Tolkien’s Legendarium (is this also cheating? I’m like the Lord of the Rings, but I think it’s the history of the world that really makes it for me.)
    4.) Harry Potter
    5.) At this moment, I’m going have to go with Lockwood & Co. I’m currently on book 3 and I’m loving every moment of it. I’ve have to reflect after I’ve finished to see if I still feel the same way.

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