Top 5 Monday: My Favorite Books

So I’ve been working on my massive backlog of blogs (right now I’ve got 13 not yet published – 4 of which are written), but I want to try to do something to get myself a little more active on here. I plan to publish reviews every Wednesday and Friday, at least until I run out of backlogged material, and then I’ll go to posting once I’m done with a book. Starting this week, I’m also going to post a “Top 5” list on Mondays, just as a little writing exercise for myself.

This week, we’ll go with…drum roll…My Top 5 Favorite Books!

1.     Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by JK Rowling

Make no mistake about it – Harry Potter changed my life forever. Reading JK Rowling’s series not only captivated my heart, but it also allowed me to become part of an amazing community of folks that I adore (and it’s how I met my husband, so I’m a little in debt to Jo). While I think other books in the series may be “better” (Deathly Hallows, for example, is near flawless), nothing makes me as happy as Prisoner of Azkaban. I’ve read it so many times my old paperback is falling apart, and I still can’t get enough.

2.     Wizard and Glass, by Stephen King

The Crimson King isn’t the only one who can fascinate from a distance. For many, many years, The Dark Tower was my Holy Grail – the one thing by Stephen King I just never could get on board with. After some pestering from my husband, I gave Roland Deschain another shot and fell head over heels in love. Wizard and Glass delves deeply into Roland’s past, so it’s no surprise that it’s my favorite out of the series.

3.     Night Watch, by Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series is satirical, irreverent, and not often serious, so it’s somewhat surprising that Night Watch is my favorite of the lot. But, just like with Wizard and Glass, Night Watch delves into the backstory of City Watch Commander Sam Vimes, my favorite Discworld character. This book is so good that I’m willing to look past the time travel aspect (time travel makes me feel squicky) to regard this as one of my favorite books.

4.     The Thorn Birds, by Colleen McCullough

I’ve always been an emotional reader, but The Thorn Birds is the first book I ever threw across the room in anger. I first read McCullough’s epic love story, I was in eight grade, and this book made a tremendous impression on me. I haven’t read it in maybe 10 years, but I can still remember exactly where I was when I reached the novel’s emotional climax, which is why it still holds a special pace in my heart.

5.     The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green

Of all the books on this list, The Fault in Our Stars is the one I’ve read the most recently. I’ve become acquainted with John Green’s work in the last couple of years, thanks to my involvement in the Nerdfighter community, and I’d wager that Green is the best young adult author writing today. He gets better and better with each new novel, and The Fault in Our Stars is no exception.

So there you have it. I’ve got a list of 15 or so Top 5’s I want to do, but if you’ve got any suggestions, leave them in the comments.

Up on Wednesday: Vampire Academy, Part 1. This review (or, more appropriately, dissertation) is so long it requires two posts!

Mischief Managed,

Slim Pearl Silver-Feather