Favorite Books of All Time

I've decided I wanted to do a post about some of my favorite books of all time. This list does not include all of my favorite books, but these are probably the very top of my favorites list. I decided not to include Harry Potter, Twilight, Jane Austen, or Hunger Games, even though they are also included on the top of my top favorites. I figured everyone has already heard about them and have either read them, or written them off as uninteresting. So here they are, in no particular order, 10 of my favorite books...

In my opinion, Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier is one of the best books ever written. It's a fairy tale retelling, yet goes so much beyond that. It's fully fleshed out with a beautiful and believable love story. This is the first book I ever read where I became emotionally attached to the characters, was absolutely addicted to reading it and went through withdrawals when it was finished. Juliet Marillier is slowly becoming a household name, and it is well deserved.




Son of the Shadows by Juliet Marillier is the second in the Sevenwaters series, and it is just as good, if not better, than the first book. The characters here are just as captivating, and the love story just as beautiful, yet nothing seems repetitive from the first book. I've spent a lot of time debating with myself which of the two is the better book, and I have yet to come to any sort of conclusion. If you haven't yet, go and read them. Now.





I discovered Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card in high school, a friend recommended it to me, and oh my gosh. Amazing. It takes place in the future, and there is a school up in space were kids train to be military leaders by playing a zero gravity war game. What's not to like about that? In fact it's so awesome that writing this, I want to go reread it.






The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Neffengger blew my mind. I was fascinated with the time travel in this novel, and how the plot jumped all over the place rather than moving normally through time. Plus it had a great love story. I have not seen the movie yet, and I'm not sure I want to. I like leaving the characters and places in my mind alone rather than inserting someone else's vision. Plus this plot is so intricate I don't think any movie could do it justice.




The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart was actually a surprising find. I'd heard a bit about it amongst my various internet literature channels when it first came out, but I didn't have much interest in it. Finally I decided to try it, and boy was I mad at myself for waiting so long. If you want a girl power book, this is it. It's packed full of feminist social commentary, and has an intelligent funny heroine. I just wish I could accidentally come across more awesome books like this.



I had to read The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharten for a lit class in college. It started off slow, but by the end had quickly become one of my favorite books. I wasn't so much into the love story, but rather the interaction between the main character, Archer, and the two women that are in his life, his fiancee and another woman he begins to love. But ultimately it was the ending that made this novel for me. I'm a sucker for an interesting ending, and this book's was awesome.




I decided to list Villette by Charlotte Bronte rather than Jane Eyre because I think Villette is a gem yet to be discovered, and Jane Eyre is already a household name. However, this book is not for the faint of heart. If you are looking for lots of action and adventure, then go somewhere else. Plus the love story is subtle, rather than in your face. But ultimately what made this book for me was the ending. It was perfect, but that's just my opinion, and many MANY people disagree with me on this matter. But still, I recommend you give it a try, especially if you love classic literature.


I was initially attracted to the Book of Flying by Keith Miller because of it's cover. I found it beautiful and interesting at the same time. Because of this I was happy to discover it contained a beautiful and interesting story as well. The story is told almost as a fable, with several stories within the framing narrative, and it's set in a fascinating world with thieves and people with wings, and a librarian who aspires for more. Simply exquisite.




The Bacon at Alexandria by Gillian Anderson is an older book, and out of print now, so I had a hard time tracking one down. But when I finally got my hands on a copy, it was all worth it. This novel takes place just before the fall of Rome and follows a girl who wants to be a doctor in a time when women were only good for marrying off and taking care of the kids and the home. My only slight issue with this novel was the ending. I thought it left several things hanging which I would have liked answered, but still, you can't go wrong with novels staring modern minded women in a misogynistic time period.


The Oracle's Queen by Lynn Flewelling is actually the third book in the trilogy, yet it is by far the best. The first book is very slow but necessary for setting up the story. The second book begins to get interesting, but still fall short. The final book however is amazing. It's not only an epic fantasy, but deals with gender issues and self image. Plus it has a great love story, which is always something I love discovering.