This may not be all of my favorite books, but these stories have influenced my writing style. Here are the top five of my favorite books.
Since I was a child, I loved reading. I forced my mom to read to me every night and won a few awards for reading the most books in my class. Life took away some of that tenacity, but I'm back to enjoying my favorite hobby, reading.
Here in this blog post, I am going to share with you the top five of my favorite books that you might enjoy, too. I say that these are the top five, but be warned I change my top five occasionally. It's hard to have a favorite. My book tastes are varied, so please indulge me. I love everything from dystopian to fairytale retellings. I also love sweet romance, too!
To start off, let's explore top favorite book(s) of all time: The Hunger Games.
The Hunger Games Series
Synopsis:
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV... And the odds are against all who play. With all four of Suzanne Collins's Hunger Games novels in one box set, you can step into the world of Panem with the 10th annual Hunger Games, and continue all the way to the electrifying conclusion.
Why recommend this book?
It's not the violence interests me. It's the questions that Suzanne Collins raises in this series. Gladiator battles aren't new. Neither is putting children into dangerous situations. But when you combine the arena battles with the sacrifice of children along with the propaganda of Panem, all I can say is that my eyes were opened.
It was this book (and movies) that really turned me into a dystopian book lover. I had read other dystopian books before. They were entertain and always had my head scratching. But this one in particular caught me on fire. Since then, I have read so many other great dystopian novels. I'll keep recommending more as I read them.
If you haven't checked these books out, start reading them now.
Here is one of my top favorite space fantasies: The Last Lumenian Series
The Last Lumenian Series
Synopsis:
MOST PRINCESSES NEED SAVING. THIS ONE WILL SAVE YOU.
She is a rebel. Lilla is fighting for the refugees's freedom from oppression. The king, her father, lost touch with reality ever since Lilla's mother died. Now everyone else is paying the price.
The arrival of Callum, a powerful Teryn general, complicates Lilla's life. His presence leads to conflicted feelings and friction with Arrov, a handsome pilot and fellow rebel.
Her life is not what she imagined it to be. Not by far. Meddling gods, love interests and sudden magical abilities have no room in Lilla's world, but that has become her new reality. No matter how hard she pushes them away, it's too late. They all seek to control her anyway.
Now the Era War between two ruling archgods forces Lilla to act: accept who she really is magic and all; find true love; fulfill her destiny by defeating the Archgod of Chaos and Destruction before He finds her. The Last Lumenian.
Why recommend this book?
I love Lilla. She's the perfect imperfect character. She struggles with debilitating anxiety, but she still manages to save the day.
When you mix fantasy, sci-fi, and clean romance you really can't go wrong. I love that this series takes you through space with fanciful aliens and magical god-like beings, but it still gives you that human element that we, as readers, crave. It's really Space Opera at it's finest.
If you are not a science fiction fan, this particular series may surprise you. It honestly has a little something for the speculative fiction reader.
I might be a little partial since I wrote a science fiction book with fantasy and romance elements too!
Here is one of my favorite science fantasy series: Prince of the Fallen
The Sentinel Seer series
Raised by ghosts. Trained by gods. How far will he go to save those who betrayed him?
Abandoned in the wilderness, Lekore lives with ghosts and fallen gods, until his efforts to rescue a traveling princess and her entourage bring him into a civilization unlike anything he’s ever known.
Caught in a net of silk and secrets, Lekore finds himself ensnared by court intrigue, midnight assassins, and a deviant faction of the Church of the Sun Gods—all thirsting for his blood.
He just wants to find the man who deserted him, until a storm rises out of the north, furious enough to destroy the city and outlying lands. Now Lekore must find the source of its wrath, deep in the wilds of the deadly Lands Beyond, if he can flee a city that won’t let him escape.
Why I recommend this book?
This is a very thought provoking epic fantasy. While it explores dark themes, it is not overly gory. Woodscourt does an excitement job at placing the reader in the shoes of someone they may not agree with. But it helps you understand why some people would see something as fine, while other's would not.
Lekore's story starts off with tragedy, but there is hope. I loved this character and the spark of truth he brought to the warring Kel and Tawloomez.
I can't say I have read an epic fantasy with spaceships before, but now I have. I highly recommend you read this book too.
My first epic fantasy as a kid: Pawn of Prophecy
The Belgariad series
Synopsis:
A fierce dispute among the Gods and the theft of a powerful Orb leaves the World divided into five kingdoms. Young Garion, with his "Aunt Pol" and an elderly man calling himself Wolf --a father and daughter granted near-immortality by one of the Gods -- set out on a complex mission. In the process, as Garion grows into his early teens, he learns to defend himself, grapples with a wild boar, uncovers spies at a king's palace, learns about sorcery and starts to gain a sense of what his own destiny may be.
Why recommend this book?
This is the book that encouraged me to love reading again. I loved the hero's journey of Garion finding the leader within. But it wasn't Garion who captured my imagination.
My favorite character is and has always been Ce'Nedra. I love her fiery personality. She is the inspiration for one of my own characters in The Progenitor Chronicles. Can you guess which one? Either way, this book will be the my favorite book from my childhood.
This is my favorite Princess and the Pea retellings: Pathways
The Kingdom Chronicles
Synopsis:
Eileen has never been interested in love. Ever since her father's abandonment, she's vowed to never experience such pain again. But the enchanted forest has different ideas. When the continuously shifting pathways lead her to a mysterious stranger, Eileen finds her promise to fiercely guard her heart increasingly difficult to keep.
One night when she becomes lost in a storm, the enchanted forest's pathways lead her to the castle, home to the kingdom's Dark Prince, where Eileen finds herself entangled in what many consider an opportunity but which Eileen believes to be a curse: competing for the Dark Prince’s hand through a series of tests that judge one’s royal worth. Eileen is neither royal nor interested in becoming a princess. But the mysterious stranger she met in the woods has his own reasons for helping her succeed, although the cost of his assistance may be too high: that of Eileen's heart, the one thing she's vowed never to give.
Inspired by “The Princess and the Pea” and "Rumpelstiltskin"
Why recommend this book?
Camille Peters is perhaps one of my favorite authors of all time. She combines the beauty of the life lessons typical in fairytales, but adapts them to our modern time.
In this particular book, she weaves Rumpelstiltskin and The Princess and the Pea as if they'd always belonged together. The world Peters creates is both familiarly, yet refreshingly new. While she doesn't always hit every typical fairytale expectation, she covers enough to know which retelling of the story she's referring too.
These are just a few of my recommendations. Stay tuned for more great books!
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The Progenitor Chronicles
Synopsis:
Time Crystals are forbidden for a reason, but King Oren must use one to save a civilization.
King Oren’s only goal was to be a peaceful caretaker of the galaxy. But when a girl falls through a portal into his courtyard clutching a forbidden Time Crystal, his life changes.
With a cataclysmic event imminent, he must lead a group from his home system to the opposite side of the galaxy. Everyone looks to their seemingly immortal race for aid, but even with their elemental powers, they are far from perfect.
Armed with the Time Crystal, they seek to stop an exploding star from decimating an entire population. The problem is, he doesn’t know how to use the crystal. Even worse, he might die trying.
Will King Oren stop the star from exploding? Or will time unravel?
The reviews are the thoughts of Sara Wright about books that she's read and recommends to her readers. The choice is yours as to whether you'd like to purchase and read them too.
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