Recently I’ve seen some videos that have been trending on BookTube (what people call book videos on Youtube) about people’s favorite book series in different genres or just in general. I thought it seemed like a fun thing to do, so I will be doing these lists every once in a while, just to break up the recommendations. This is a list of five of my all-time favorite series.
Honorable Mentions
Bones- I haven’t read all of the Bones novels, but from the ones that I have read I enjoyed them. It’s one of the few adult fictions that I really like. I would probably add it into my favorite lists if I didn’t prefer the TV series over the books. But that’s another story. Kathy Reichs is the author and a real-life Forensic Anthropologist. So, she really knows what she writes in her novels, and I think it’s really interesting to know that she probably went through some of the stuff in her books. Most of the novels are based on her real life, and they are all riveting books.
The Giver- So, technically The Giver series is a quartet of books, and not a true series. The first book is a masterpiece in my opinion, but the reason I left it as an honorable mention is because it’s not really a series. It is four books in the same world, but not four sequential books. Still, The Giver is a must read, and that’s why I left it as an honorable mention.
Series of Unfortunate Events- I accidently started this series with the ninth book, but went back soon after and read the other eight. It’s got an interesting take as it’s basically narrated by the author, “Lemony Snicket” but they also are a character in the series. There are thirteen in the series, so it is a longer one, but all of them are pretty quick and easy reads. The reason why it’s an honorable mention for me is because it’s a little darker than I usually like and I forget I read it at times. It’s also not a series that is re-readable for me.
A Song of Ice and Fire- If you don’t know what this series is, it is the series that Game of Thrones is based on. This is a great series, but it’s not finished. So, that’s one of the reasons I can’t put it on the full list, and also because I feel like I have to take notes when I’m reading the series. I like it, and it keeps my attention, but it takes me a long time to get through just one book. However, saying that might sound like I’m dogging on the series, but I mean it when I say it’s a great story and series. Just hasn’t been finished and there are still two novels to come out in the series. The last book we got was in 2011 and it always takes George R. R. Martin a long time to write a book. Honestly, if you want to know the way the series ends, watch the TV series as Martin has stated that the ending of the books is supposedly similar to the way the series ended. However, he has also said that he may change it up. The TV series is a very adult series though, so proceed with caution.
These are in no particular order, and it was very hard for me to choose my top 5.
Ender’s Game- My mother read this book to me when I was in grade school. After reading the book with her, I was hooked. I went on to read the rest of the series, which at that time had only gone up to Ender’s Shadow. Which coincidently is my favorite book in the series, Bean is a great character. Now, there are 20 books in the series, but not all of them are needed to be read to get the story. Basically, read Ender’s Games novels and Ender’s Shadow novels. Some are prequels to the Ender saga, and short stories as well that focus on characters around Ender. The whole series is very good, and if you like Sci-fi it’s even better, if you’ve never tried a Sci-fi book; Ender’s Game is a good one to start with.
Andrew “Ender” Wiggin is a smart young boy who is born a “third,” which in the future world is very rare because families are only supposed to have two kids. Ender is bullied in school by Stiltson and when Ender finally fights back, he injures the kid who later dies due to his injuries. When confronted by Colonel Graff, of the Battle School which Ender thought was unattainable for him, Ender tells Graff that showing superiority now he has prevented future struggle. Graff offers him a place at Battle School. Now at school, the commanders try to isolate Ender and it works, he finds solace in playing “games” and soon becomes a commander of his own squadron of rookies. He leads them to victory in the games and has more conflict with others due to this. He becomes close to “Bean” a small, but very smart young man who is in his new army. Together they go on to find out some secrets and why they are at the Battle School.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians- This was the first of Rick Riordan’s novels that delve into stories from Greek Mythology and creates a whole new world where modern times have collided with characters of the old stories. This series has five books in total and has a sequel series that is also one of my favorites called the Heroes of Olympus, but since it’s basically a continuation series, I didn’t include it on the list. What I think is important about the series is that it does a good job of reintroducing Greek Myths to a new generation. I have always liked Greek Myths so it was fun for me to see the surge in popularity again. Why I enjoy the series outside of that is the characters are endearing and witty. Which is something I look for in a book from the get go.
Percy Jackson is a twelve-year-old boy who has always got himself into trouble and has been kicked out of many different schools. He has ADHD and is dyslexic, so has a hard time learning as well. When his substitute math teacher turns into a monster and attacks him, he defeats her with the help of his friend Grover. He is thrust into a world where characters from Greek myths are still prevalent and he finds out his absent father is actually a Greek God. He goes on a journey, with Grover and Annabeth, to save his mother from the Underworld.
Harry Potter- Probably the most popular series on this list, it’s no surprise that it is on my list if you have been following my blogs. It took the world by storm in 1997 when the first book the Sorceror’s Stone hit the shelves. I followed the series as it came out and the final book was published in 2007 when I was going into my junior year of high school. I was also the same age as Harry in the books. The trio of characters is endearing and while I was growing up with them, they were going through a lot of what I went through. This series was easily my favorite growing up. It was just so different from anything I had read before, and I loved it.
Harry Potter is the story about an eleven-year-old orphan who is raised by his aunt and uncle under some terrible conditions. He soon finds out he is a wizard and is whisked away to Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There he meets his best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. The three get thrust into a mystery involving three headed dogs, dragons, and a mean potions professor. What comes of the mystery spans the rest of the series and the trio continues to learn and grow throughout their seven years at Hogwarts.
The Hunger Games- This is a trilogy of books set in a dystopian future. It was the first dystopian book series that I had ever read. I was very hesitant to read this series at the beginning for the fact that it was about kids killing kids. (The summary is in the next paragraph if you’re confused.) But I eventually did sit down and read it, and I couldn’t put it down. Even now as I reread them, I almost always read it all in one go. The pacing of the books is great and the action keeps you going throughout the trilogy. There are about four characters that I really like and tons that I didn’t like, but that is to be expected when you are dealing with this series. The villains in this series are written well, and although at moments you feel a little sympathy toward them, they are characters that make you very angry.
Katniss Everdeen is a girl from the Seam in District 12 of Panem. She goes hunting with her best friend, Gale, the morning of the reaping for the annual Hunger Games. Every year each District is forced to send a boy and a girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to their Hunger Games. Which is where the twenty-four tributes fight to the death until one victor is left. This year is the first year that her younger sister Primrose will be available for the reaping, but Katniss has done everything she can to keep her sister’s name from being called. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happens, so Katniss volunteers as tribute. Which is a very rare thing to happen in the outlying Districts, it usually means you’re volunteering for your own death. District Twelve had only two victors in the 73 years of the Games prior to this. The other tribute is a boy the same age as Katniss and someone who she says she owes her life to. Peeta Mellark gave her a burned loaf of bread from his parent’s bakery, and she has never forgotten that. Katniss has to fight through all others and the Capitol in order to save her sister in this trilogy of books.
The Dragonriders of Pern- This is probably the longest series of books on this list, and one that I will always recommend if you’re into Fantasy/Sci-Fi. If you want to get most of the story, you really only have to read Dragonflight, Dragonquest and the White Dragon. That was the original trilogy however, there are 24 novels and 2 collections in the series. I also suggest reading the Skies of Pern, which is a novel that takes place in the timeline of the original trilogy and adds more information from one of the characters in the trilogy. The original trilogy has a very strong female lead in Lessa, which is what really made me happy while reading them. I personally love a strong female lead in a book.
Dragonflight follows Lessa, a girl who comes from a noble family and is the last of that house. As she comes of age, she decides to take her birthright back, but before she can she is taken to Benden Weyr by F’Lar who is looking for candidates to impress a new queen. She goes with him and becomes the queen, Ramoth’s rider which makes her the new Weyroman. She becomes the leader of the Weyr and eventually F’Lar joins her as his bronze dragon, Mnementh, becomes Ramoth’s mate, and makes F’Lar the new Weyr Leader. When a threat known as Threads come back, it becomes abundantly clear that Benden Weyr can’t keep the planet from burning, so Lessa and F’Lar must work together to figure out a new way to defeat the Threads.