Top 25 Favorite Books (Fiction)
So you’re locked inside your house and you’ve watched everything on Netflix twice and now you’re staring at a stack of books wondering where to even begin, huh? Well, well, well. How the turn tables…turn. I grew up in a house of books; in fact, I’m pretty sure the foundation of my parent’s house is propped up by books which is ironic considering the house is also being weighed down by the thousands of books they own. I read a TON as a kid and pre-teen then lost almost all interest in books in high school thanks to the bane of required reading in English classes. I dabbled in serious reading again here and there, but it wasn’t until 2016 that I made it a point to set reading goals for myself and make reading a priority. I’ve read 52 books each of the last two years, though many have been audiobooks (count it however you can in this busy world, I say). With the weird and unsure times we’re in, and many of you experiencing unexpected downtime, I’ve had several people ask for book recommendations. So, I’ve put together a list of my 25 favorite works of fiction. There’s a lot of science fiction and fantasy here but I also mixed in some classics and a few other outliers so hopefully there’s something here for everyone. If time allows (read: “demands”), I may do a follow up with non-fiction but for the moment, here’s what I’ve got on the fiction side of things. Happy reading!
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HONORABLE MENTION: “The Lord of the Rings Trilogy” – JRR Tolkein (1954-1955)
Misses the list slightly only due to the fact that I enjoy/like/love not one but TWO different adaptations better than the actual books themselves. The films, compiled together into one big, 20-something hour movie, occupy a prime spot among my top five favorite movies of all-time. And there’s a really great radio play from the late 70’s that I listened to dozens and dozens of times growing up. Still, the source material makes these adaptations what they are and I’m a big fan of the entire world Tolkein created (see below).
25. “Red Planet” – Robert Heinlein (1949)
Synopsis: A coming of age story set on Mars featuring a pair of boys and their pet Martian dog thing.
It’s been a while since I’ve read this one, but it was a favorite as a pre-teen and teenager. “Red Planet” is for me the quintessential dime store sci-fi novel. Simple, short, and perfectly aimed at its target audience, something Heinlein was brilliant at in his earlier writing days. There’s also a very cool cartoon adaptation but it is not easy to obtain in any sort of *legal* form.
24. “A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World” – CA Fletcher (2019)
Synopsis: In the post-apocalyptic British Isles, a teenager attempts to track down the pirate who stole his dog.
Over the last year or two, my reading tastes have shifted to non-fiction. I still listen to and read a lot of fiction, especially science fiction, but I’m rarely all that enthused with these books when I get to the end. This was a big exception last year. Fletcher navigates some very familiar tropes with ease and crafts a really beautiful story that will make for a great film adaptation someday.
23. “Starship Troopers” – Robert Heinlein (1959)
Synopsis: Johnny Rico fights a futuristic war against a society of evil alien bugs.
If you’ve seen the movie(s) version of “Starship Troopers” then, uhhhhh, you have basically no idea what the book is actually about. Let’s just say it wasn’t *exactly* a perfect adaptation. This book is layered with symbolism, social commentary, and political satire but if you want to read it as a piece of straight-up sci-fi action (as I did in my youth), you can do that, too. There are probably better Heinlein novels, but this is certainly my favorite and perhaps the most accessible of his bigger, denser works.
22. “The Great Gatsby” – F. Scott Fitzgerald (1925)
Synopsis: Love, tragedy, and decadence in the Roaring Twenties.
I have never in my life felt older than when the DiCaprio-Luhrmann version of “Gatsby” debuted and so many youths were having Gatsby-themed proms and stuff and I was like yelling in the streets, “YOU ARE COMPLETELY MISSING THE POINT OF THE BOOK!!!” And in that moment, I knew I had become my 10th grade English teacher. Truly, though, there aren’t many school-mandated books that I tolerate, let alone enjoy, but this is one of them.
21. “The Book of Lost Things” – John Connolly (2006)
Synopsis: A boy, struggling to deal with the death of his mother and his father’s new wife, finds himself trapped in a fantasy world by The Crooked Man.
Several times a year, Audible runs promotions and sales events and I usually stock up on a couple of titles that sound interesting. More often than not, these purchases end up being mediocre or worse but this one was a rare outlier. Lots, and lots, and LOTS of books attempt the modern day take on classic fairy tales or mythology, but Connolly did it better than just about all of them, weaving together a lively and engrossing story within an even livelier and engrossing world. Part “Chronicles of Narnia” and part Arthurian quest, “The Book of Lost Things” is a delightful piece of fantasy.
20. “To Kill a Mockingbird” – Harper Lee (1960)
Synopsis: I mean you all read this one in high school, you know?
My favorite of the school-mandated reads, a feeling I suspect is quite common amongst my generation (and probably the generations before and after me). Lee’s novel is a masterpiece and her themes are still so incredibly relevant and important. I’m not sure how anyone reading this list could’ve gotten through high school without reading “Mockingbird” but if somehow you missed it or it missed you, this is considered required reading.
19. “Jurassic Park” – Michael Crichton (1990)
Synopsis: A crazy rich guy (aren’t they all?) uses fossilized DNA to make dinosaurs and opens an amusement park where, shockingly, things go wrong.
I was OBSESSED with Crichton’s books as a pre-teen/teen and I devoured most of his better-known works at a rapid pace. My favorite at the time was “Sphere” but “Jurassic Park” is without question his most well-known, well-read book and the one that I have revisited the most myself, though it has been ten-plus years since my last trip through. If you’ve seen the movie (and obviously you have because it is, after all, a modern classic), you’ve got the gist of it, but the book adds some depth to the story and it is expertly crafted as a thriller.
18. “Ender’s Game” – Orson Scott Card (1985)
Synopsis: Young Ender Wiggin undertakes extensive training at a military academy in order to become a leader in the fight against an alien race.
Because I grew up in a nerdy household filled with nerdy books, this wasn’t my first foray into sci-fi, but it was for a lot of people my age who read it in middle school or high school. I’m unable to say whether or not the story development works for adults as well as it did for me as a young teenager, but I know it left an impression on me that has lasted for 20-plus years. The movie is fine and the book series loses steam pretty quickly but this single story is still very good.
17. “World War Z” – Max Brooks (2006)
Synopsis: An oral history of the zombie outbreak and invasion.
I love oral histories and while I’m sure there are other works of fiction that utilizes the medium, “World War Z” is the first I remember reading and uses the format the best. If you’ve seen the Brad Pitt movie, you’ve seen approximately three pages of the book, I would guess. I like the movie but, as a fan of the book, I wish it wouldn’t have posed as an adaptation for what was, essentially, a completely different story. Regardless, this is a really great read and Brooks’ commitment to both story AND character development is to be commended.
16. “Children of Time” – Adrian Tchaikovsky (2015)
Synopsis: A group of future space colonists, an angry AI, and a species of sentient spiders battle for possession of a faraway planet.
A lot of what makes my “favorites” list would be considered more “soft” sci-fi or at least more accessible sci-fi. “Children of Time” is much denser and more “hard” sci-fi than many of the other entries here but it is, nonetheless, a well-crafted book with an engrossing story that takes place over thousands of years. I was skeptical of this book and passed it over a few times when it came up in my Audible suggestions because I couldn’t see a world in which Tchaikovsky could make his story work without getting lost in the scientific weeds. But he did, and the result is one of the better pieces of true science fiction I’ve come across in a long time. The sequel, “Children of Ruin”, is solid, too, but not quite up to this standard.
15. “Neverwhere” – Neil Gaiman (1996)
Synopsis: An unwitting young businessman stumbles into a world of magic and crime in London Below.
Look, let’s start by saying you cannot go wrong with Gaiman. He is a true master of his craft with a literary voice that almost literally sings off the page. (His speaking voice is also magnificent and as such, I highly recommend the audiobook for this one.) I would guess that “American Gods” is Gaiman’s most well-known book and it’s excellent but for me, “Neverwhere” and another book on this list are more enjoyable and more accessible. “Neverwhere” starts a little slow with its world building but once it gets going, it never lets up, and the underworld of London makes for an incredible backdrop for the story. If you want more mythologically-built storytelling, “American Gods” might be the play but if you’re more interested in fantasy and magic, “Neverwhere” is the book for you.
14. “Reincarnation Blues” – Michael Poore (2017)
Synopsis: Milo has only five lives left to figure everything out and join the cosmic soul.
Fitting that this entry falls right after my first Gaiman recommendation as it has a number of stylistic and storytelling similarities. “Reincarnation Blues” is sort of a cross between “American Gods” and “The Hike” which will be mentioned here in a bit. This is a dark comedy but it leans into the comedy especially in the words Poore chooses for the inner monologue of his lead character. “Reincarnation” is mystical and spiritual and a much more fun journey than you might imagine given the subject matter.
13. “Boy 21” – Matthew Quick (2012)
Synopsis: A hardworking Irish basketball player tries to befriend the new kid, a former basketball prodigy whose life has been altered by tragedy.
I picked this up in the clearance section at a bookstore and read it in one sitting on a plane. (Okay, actually two sittings on two flights but you get the point.) Quick’s most famous work is “Silver Linings Playbook”, both a solid book and movie adaptation, but I like this much better. The protagonist and his weird, troubled friend feel so real and Quick lays out the foundations of his world with ease. It’s a very honest, heartfelt read and one that elicits emotion in an authentic way.
12. “The Girl with All the Gifts” – MR Carey (2014)
Synopsis: A teacher at a military base that houses zombie kids takes a special interest in a very different girl named Melanie.
This, along with “World War Z”, are the only entries on my list that you could classify as “horror.” Not my favorite genre of film, for sure, but I’ve also never loved reading it, either. Exceptions are made for GREAT stories, though, and “The Girl with All the Gifts” is very much that. It is terrifying but not in its action or descriptions of gore and violence; rather, it’s mostly in its storytelling where the book creates tension and chills, a compliment to Carey’s magnificent writing. This certainly isn’t a feel-good book and child zombies might not be the order of the day for many of you in the midst of a pandemic, but it is one of the best post-apocalyptic reads I’ve ever read. (Carey has a sequel, “The Boy on the Bridge”, that is very good and another book, “Fellside”, that is okay. This book was also adapted into a small-ish British movie with Glenn Close and it’s pretty decent, a B+.)
11. “This is Where I Leave You” – Jonathan Tropper (2009)
Synopsis: A recently divorced man reunites with his weird, sometimes estranged family to sit Shiva after the death of his father.
A trigger warning for those who have been through a divorce or a really bad breakup after a long-term relationship: the first few chapters of “This is Where I Leave You” are ROUGH. Based on Tropper’s own experiences, (which is exactly why the events are so painful) the book lays the main character low then sends him home to a house full of crazy people who all feel incredibly familiar. Authenticity runs rampant through “This is Where I Leave You” but, thankfully, so, too, does humor and interesting, quirky cast of characters. The movie adaptation is not so good but don’t let that keep you away from the source material.
10. “The Martian” – Andy Weir (2011)
Synopsis: Astronaut Mark Watney is left for dead on the surface of Mars where he attempts to survive until a rescue mission can arrive.
I’m not sure I’ve ever read a work of “hard” science fiction that is as fun as “The Martian.” There’s so much math and science and botany and all manner of other serious, academic-type material within “The Martian” and yet, like the best teacher you ever had in high school, Weir understands that the only way to make most people care about all the “boring” stuff is to make it fun and Mark Watney is super-duper fun. Ridley Scott’s movie is a great adaptation and Matt Damon made an outstanding Watney but the book is even richer and, dare I say, more fun than the film, somehow.
9. “A Monster Calls” – Patrick Ness (2011)
Synopsis: A young boy begins to hear the call of a twisted old tree in a graveyard down the street while his mother battles cancer.
Anyone who knows me in real-life or listens to Mad About Movies knows that I cry, like, a lot in movies. And okay, maybe it’s not just movies; maybe it’s TV and commercials and music and sermons and, like, life choices and stuff. I cry a lot, okay, GET OFF MY BACK! I don’t, however, cry a lot during books. A tear here or there and a couple of big outliers like “Harry Potter” (see below) but for the most part, not a big book crier. I suspended this rule in the EXTREME, however, for “A Monster Calls”, which is probably the most devastatingly beautiful book I’ve ever read. I listened to this book while moving into a new house a few years ago and was mostly just wandering around the house, carrying boxes, and bumping into walls because I was sobbing so much. “A Monster Calls” reads like a CS Lewis parable for the modern age and it is magnificent but oh my, how it will put you through the emotional ringer.
8. “Hits and Misses” – Simon Rich (2018)
Synopsis: A collection of short stories by the funniest writer in the world.
From the book that made me cry the most to the book that made me laugh more than any other. Simon Rich is an actual comedic genius and all of his stories and books are brilliant, but this one takes the comedic cake for me. The stories herein are so perfectly written and uproarious, particularly “The Jester” and “The Ultimate Foosball Championship.” I was trying to read this eBook in bed next to my sleeping wife and had to leave the room because I couldn’t NOT laugh out loud. I legitimately laugh to the point of crying every time I re-read one of these stories. It is a perfect collection.
7. “The Hike” – Drew Magary (2016)
Synopsis: On a business trip, Ben stumbles into a dangerous and magical world wherein his only companion is a cantankerous crab.
I have a love-hate relationship with Magary in that he is one of the funniest people on the planet, but he is also, apparently, one of the most miserable people on the planet. (I don’t mean “miserable” like criminal or necessarily “bad”; I just mean I don’t know that he’s ever had a good day in his entire life and sometimes when reading him, I’m just like, “OKAY DUDE GET A PUPPY OR SOMETHING, GOSHHHHH.”) “The Hike”, though, is the work in which Magary perfectly channels ALL aspects of his personality and writing style. It is unbelievably funny but equally melancholy and dark. It’s poetic and deep and touching but under the shadow of grumpiness, a characteristic I am a big fan of. “The Hike” is a modern-day “Alice in Wonderland” for adults and a highly enjoyable read.
6. “The Ocean at the End of the Lane” – Neil Gaiman (2013)
Synopsis: A middle-aged man returns home for a funeral and begins to remember the supernatural events of his childhood.
I’m pretty sure this was the first Gaiman I read and while it’s one of his slighter, less-widely-read books, it is by far my favorite. “The Ocean” takes all of Gaiman’s favorite tropes, concepts, and inspirations and boils them down into a small, eloquent little story within a more self-contained, micro world than what you’ll find in “American Gods” or “Neverwhere” and I love it all the more for that smallness. It’s a beautiful book and easy read and, like “Neverwhere”, Gaiman is the reader on the audiobook and his voice is dreamy.
5. “The Red Rising Trilogy” – Pierce Brown (2014-2016)
Synopsis: In a future society spread out across the galaxy, a young man from the lowest caste rises up against his people’s oppressors.
I’ve read this series twice since 2017 and I expect I’ll read them many more times over the coming years. I *liked* the series the first time through and in the gap between readings, they grew on me even more. The second time through, I *LOVED* them and now recommend them to anyone who has read “Harry Potter”, “Game of Thrones”, “Hunger Games”, etc. The first book is sort-of “Hunger Games” on Mars (except actually well-written, YA BURNT, Susan Collins) and the rest of the series turns into a more-readable version of “Dune” (YA BURNT, too, Frank Herbert). Brown’s world is intricate and well-thought-out, the story is super engaging, and I absolutely LOVVVEEEE these characters, more so than any other series outside of “Harry Potter.” (Brown is two-thirds through a sequel series set sometime after the events of this trilogy, but I haven’t read them yet as I’m waiting for the series to finish before binging them all.)
4. “The Hobbit” – JRR Tolkein (1937)
Synopsis: Bilbo Baggins leaves his safe-and-comfortable life to accompany 12 dwarves and a famed wizard on an adventure.
For many, many years, this was my answer when someone asked, “What is your favorite book?” And then those people would roll their eyes or yell “nerd!” or try to give me a wedgie or something but I stood by my choice because I am a man of principle and also a nerd. I have read “The Hobbit”, without exaggeration, at least 30 times in my life. I’ve written papers on “The Hobbit” and made presentations on it in school at least twice. I own four or five different copies and every time I go to a used bookstore, I look to see if they have a version I don’t have. This is such a fun, easy read and whereas “The Lord of the Rings” sometimes get bogged down in Elvish songs and boring, minute details, “The Hobbit” is much more streamlined and provides a perfect entry point for low fantasy novels. (This is one you could absolutely read with your kids, if you are looking for ways to pass the time.)
3. “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay” – Michael Chabon (2000)
Synopsis: Two Jewish cousins become acclaimed comic book publishers in pre-WWII New York.
I totally missed this one when it debuted, despite all the hype and the fact that it won the Pulitzer for fiction. I just got to it via audiobook in 2017 and it instantly became a favorite. Chabon, at times, can run long in his books with stretches of pages that you wind up flipping through without actually reading, but he is a master wordsmith and, for me, “Kavalier and Clay” was an absolute page turner (or whatever the phrase would be for listening). The story development is told in phases as the characters progress from pre-World War II through post-WWII and the two main characters are extremely human and extremely likable in spite of, or perhaps because of, their flaws.
2. “Ready Player One” – Ernest Cline (2011)
Synopsis: In the not-so-distant future, teenager Wade Watts escapes from his bleak reality into the comfy confines of the OASIS, a VR world where anything is possible.
There are some “RPO” haters out there who believe the book relies too heavily on nostalgia. I kind of understand that criticism but I think they’re missing the point. Maybe this is semantics but, for the most part, I think Cline builds with nostalgia instead of on nostalgia and that’s the reason why “RPO” is such a great read as compared to a host of other books, movies, and TV shows that have followed in the wake of this book’s success (including Cline’s own follow up, “Armada”). Cline’s world is incredibly intricate and his attention to detail is top notch. It’s a fun read that dabbles in social commentary and never lets up in its grandiose worldbuilding.
1. “The Harry Potter Series” – JK Rowling (1997-2007)
Synopsis: On his eleventh birthday, Harry Potter discovers he is a wizard and then a lot of things happen that I love.
This is probably the least surprising end to a top-25 list ever for anyone who knows me but here we are nonetheless. If someone asks me what my favorite SINGLE, SOLITARY BOOK is, I say “Ready Player One.” But, when I have any wiggle room by which to define “book”, the correct answer is “Harry Potter”, an answer than combines all seven books and 4,224 pages into one big, great, beautiful book that I love more than most of my friends and family. I pushed back HARD against the Potter phenomenon as a teenager and young college student, attending the movie premiers with my family and enjoying myself but never fully engaging. Then, after seeing The Goblet of Fire, I changed my tune and read all of the six available books in approximately three days (an exaggeration, but slight). I’ve read the books multiple times since, both as hard copy books and in audio format (highly recommended, as Jim Dale is one of the great readers the world has ever known) and I cannot wait to dig through the series again with my kid in the very near future.