In this journal post, I am excited to share a list of my all-time favorite books, spanning beyond just the past year or so. These are the books that have captured my heart and that I have remembered through time.
I once heard someone say that books provide a view into a reader’s soul, and the ones readers choose can tell a lot about them. So, I’d like to share some of my most cherished books with you. Looking at this tally is like taking a snapshot of who I am.
I’ll begin with those most recently read and work my way back. Let me know if we have any in common, or even better, if you have recommendations of books I should consider.
One final note, I am leaving out the books I’ve written (in case you might ask). Although I love them, I am a little biased. Same with the books by authors I personally know. I also omit books I thought were good but average—only the best of the best here.
My most-liked books during the past five years or so:
- Spells For Forgetting by Adrienne Young
- The Ferryman by Justin Cronin
- The Broken Earth Trilogy: (The Fifth Season, The Obelisk Gate, and The Stone Sky) by N.K. Jemisin
- The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman
- The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton
- Wool by Hugh Howey
- The Carls: (An Absolutely Remarkable Thing and A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor) by Hank Green
- The Stormlight Archive: (The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance) by Brandon Sanderson (I have yet to read books 3 and 4 in this series)
- Origin: A Novel by Dan Brown
- The Book of M by Peng Shepherd
- The Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
- The Girl Who Chased the Moon: A Novel by Sarah Addison Allen
- Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
- The City of Brass: A Novel by S. A. Chakraborty
Roughly five to ten years ago:
- All the Birds in the Sky by Jane Anders
- The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
- The Secret History by Donna Tartt
- The Passage Trilogy: (The Passage, The Twelve, The City of Mirrors) by Justin Cronin
- The Bear and the Nightingale: A Novel by Katherine Arden
- Age of Myth by Michael Sullivan
- The Atlantis Gene by A.G. Riddle
- Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances by Neil Gaiman
- Red Rising by Pierce Brown
- Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
- The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzzane Collins
- The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
- The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
- Stardust by Neil Gaiman
- Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
- The City & the City by China Mieville
- Station Eleven: A Novel by Emily St. John Mandel
- Seveneves by Neal Stephenson
- The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins
The Distant Past — Ten-plus years:
(For the sake of brevity, I’m paring down the number of books included here to include only those I remember the most.)
- The Hyperion Cantos: (The Fall of Hyperion, Endymion, The Rise of Endymion) by Dan Simmons
- The City by Dean Koontz
- A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire series) books 1 – 4 by George R. R. Martin
- Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series: (The Dragonbone Chair, The Stone of Farewell, To Green Angel Tower) by Tad Williams
- Shadowmarch: (Shadowmarch, Shadowplay, Shadowrise) by Tad Williams
- The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever: (Lord Foul’s Bane, The Illearth War, Power That Preserves) by Stephen R. Donaldson
- The Lord of the Rings: (The Fellowship of The Rings, The Two Towers, The Return of The King) by J.R.R. Tolkien
- The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
- The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan
- Foundation (7-book series) by Isaac Asimov
- Dune (6-book series) by Frank Herbert
- Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
- Watership Down by Richard Adams
- Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
- I Robot and The Robot Series (3-book series) by Isaac Asimov
- The Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey
Non-Fiction through the years:
I’ve read dozens of books on the craft of writing—many helpful. But these are the top of the list that comes to mind.
- Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons from a Writing Life by Terry Brooks
- Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg
- On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
A final word on my best-liked movies or streaming series adaptations from books I had read.
- The Foundation (now playing season 2) by Isaac Asimov
- Dune (the latest adaption with part 2 out later this year) by Frank Herbert
- Silo (season 1 earlier this year) by Hugh Howey
- The Martian by Andy Weir
- Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
- A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
- The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
After reviewing this, I realize I have probably omitted as many books as I’ve included. But enough for now. Feel free to leave a comment below or email me with your favorites.