I have been slacking on blog posts AGAIN! What with summer finally here and everyone out of school, I’m finding myself spending more days in the sunshine! I’m going on more adventures, working more, and relaxing more. This has kind of set me back on blog posts.
However!
I finally finished this one! This post is just what it says, a list of my top ten favorite books and series. I tried to give more feedback on why I loved these books to make it more review like rather than just simple descriptions of the books listed.
Anyway, I hope you like it and let’s get to it!
Disclaimer: All of the views and opinions in this post are solely my own and are not sponsored. This post includes affiliate links, meaning I earn a commission through links at no cost to you.
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Harry Potter (series) by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter sort of defined a period of my childhood if I’m being honest. I read the books in the span of two months while I was in the fifth grade. I was eleven years old and, of course, instantly related to the first novel. (I ended up rereading the books at 17 and I don’t know why, but it makes me happy to think about). Anyway, this series really did change my life. I was (and still am) obsessed with the HP universe. The way I imagined things, played pretend, and read, all changed after reading the HP series. This was the first fantasy book I ever read and I fell in love.
Before the fifth grade, I preferred nonfiction (aside from The Magic TreeHouse series that I read in the third grade). And now, I prefer fiction and fantasy over everything else. I don’t know. I could go on and on about how the Harry Potter series changed my little eleven year old self. No matter what, this series will go down as my number one every single time.
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Throne of Glass (series) by Sarah J. Maas
I didn’t take time to describe Harry Potter because I’m fairly certain the majority of people know what it is. Throne of Glass, on the other hand, may not be as well known. Essentially, the series follows a female vigilante on her journey to save the world. Why do I leave this so vague? BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY PLOT TWISTS AND DEATHS AND REVIVALS AND MAGIC AND IF I SAY ANYTHING I RUIN THE SURPRISE! I honestly cannot explain anything beyond that vague statement. I remember reading the ending of book two and throwing it on the ground going “what the heck just happened?!?” Every book is like that!
I started reading the series after a book assignment over the summer before eighth grade. Since then, I’ve stuck with the series and read about one or two a year as they come out.
The first book follows Celaena, an infamous assassin, through a series of challenges to become the King’s Champion. But of course, nothing is easy and you better bet there is some magical things going on affecting all of the characters.
This goes down as one of my favorites because the character development, world building, and suspense/surprises are AMAZING!
It’s definitely in my top 3 favorite fantasy series!
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A Court of Thorns and Roses (series) by Sarah J. Maas
I’m not sure if this was supposed to be a trilogy or if it’s a series or what. There are four books now, but the fourth is a bit different from the other three…in POV and plot.
However, I really enjoyed this fantasy romance series. It follows another heroine type character who, through love and loss, ends up saving the world…kind of… The first book showcases Feyre, the heroine, getting caught up in the fae part of the world across the wall where she ends up finding love and the guts to take down the “curse” that has befallen the court that she ends up living in.
Maas, as an author, is really good at throwing in plot twists and changes. The first book is nothing like the last one in plot, characters, and setting (in a way). She basically shows you the world she’s created and then flips it upside down. It’s great.
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The Ocean at the End of the Lane & Neil Gaiman in general
Neil Gaiman is by far my favorite author as of right now. I discovered his work a few years ago on a trip to the library (and technically speaking, long before that with Coraline. Though, I didn’t know it at the time).
The Ocean at the end of the Lane was the first book I ever read by Neil Gaiman and I fell in love! His genre is dark fantasy, with lots of thought provoking statements and story lines that veer towards horror. There’s a childish element to each book which makes it feel youthful and that much more terrifying. The Ocean at the end of the Lane follows a young boy through a wild summer: meeting a girl and her family who all practice magic, and his efforts to understand all of the changes that are taking place within his own house and family. For a small book, it’s quite complex.
This book remains one of my favorites because of the intense and fascinating story line, and because of the dark fantasy genre that I crave and love.
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Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
The Heart of Darkness was one of those classics that I had to read in high school. Notice I said “had to.” I went into this book thinking I was going to hate it. Boy was I wrong! I might have been the only student in my junior year AP Lit class that actually enjoyed this book. The book exposes themes of human nature, human actions, and what it means to hold power. I LOVE talking about human nature and what it means to be human. I can’t quite explain why, but it really intrigues me.
I like Heart of Darkness for this reason. Also, I really enjoyed the symbolism, metaphors, and writing style in the book. I am a poet by heart.
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On the Road by Jack Kerouac
This is yet another book that I “had to” read in my junior year of high school. A friend of mine and I instantly fell in love.
On the Road is based on Jack Kerouac’s journey and travels across the United States with his friends. The novel is written in such a way that it feels more like a series of stories strung together to create a bigger story (similar to episodes of a TV show to create a season). The novel includes a bunch of references to Beat culture showcasing sex, drugs, Jazz, poetry, and travel.
My friend and I were in LOVE with this book, or at least the purpose behind it, for quite some time. I’m not sure if it was this book or our desire to travel that sparked the idea of planning a trip to Europe together. But, that’s where we ended up so…
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Call of the Wild by Jack London
I can’t remember the first time I read this book. Maybe in the seventh grade? I don’t remember. But I know I’ve read it about five times now. Time and time again, I come back to this book for its engrossing and philosophical story. This is a classic, but for those of you who don’t know, this book follows Buck, a giant dog during the 1800’s gold rush. It is an adventure novel that depicts the life of sled dogs and their owners while asking pivotal questions about humanity, nature, obedience, and freedom.
The last time I read this, I highlighted quotes that really resonated with me. These quotes inspired me to the point of my desire to get a tattoo of one of them!
This is a strange one and I am well aware. I told you I loved fanfiction yes? Well, here’s one of them! I don’t know why, but I am IN LOVE with this book. It’s not amazing quality or anything. It isn’t deep. It’s just a love story based on the story of Persephone and Hades. However, i’ve managed to read this book three times now!
Essentially, the story asks this question: what if Hades never tricked Persephone into eating the pomegranate seeds? What if, in the 21st century, he finally decided to get himself a wife?
And of course the story follows the main character through trials and tribulations into becoming the wife of the God of the Underworld.
I can’t exactly explain why I like it so much. I’ve never been a fan of romance and this is one of the FEW romance stories that I actually enjoy!
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Trigger Warning (short story collection by Neil Gaiman)
This was the second book I ever read by Niel Gaiman. Trigger Warnings is a collection of short stories written to inspire horror, unnerve, and uncomfortability in the reader. The stories are meant to “trigger” you. I fell in love with this book. I am a lover of creepy, horrific, and dark literature. (Have you noticed?) I like asking the deeper and darker questions of life. This book does just that while still remaining a fun and thrilling read.
My favorites from this book are probably “Feminine Endings” and “Click Clacks and Rattlebags.”
I definitely recommend reading this!
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Our Numbered Days by Niel Hilborn
I haven’t actually read the entirety of this book. I’ve read the majority of it, but not all of it. This might be one of my favorite poetry collections. The poem, Our Numbered Days touched me when I first read it. I know it’s a little strange that I would include a book I haven’t fully read in my top 10 but I wanted to include some poetry, particularly some poetry that really touched me.
A lot of poetry books I read these days are too short and simplistic for my taste. And the poetry that I prefer to read is a style that hasn’t been put in book form yet (I find it mostly on Pinterest).
So, I included Our Numbered Days. It’s a really nice collection of longer poems with complicated themes. The friend who introduced me to this book loved Hilborn’s OCD poem. So, I recommend checking that out!
I hope this post gave a good list of inspiring books to read! These are my favorites and I hope that you check them out! I’m also considering doing a post about books that are amazing but I absolutely hated reading them. Let me know what you think in the comments below!
If you have any questions regarding this post or my site, feel free to email me at info.amelia.wilson@gmail.com.
If you liked this post, check out my What I’m Reading This Month series!