As promised I will now write my "Top 10 Fiction books." This list may be more difficult because I have not read many fictions novels lately, but I used to read them all the time in high school. These are just 10 of my current favorites that I would recommend. So if you are looking for a good read, enjoy fiction novels, or just need a little taste of escapism, I hope one or all of these books can take you on an adventure that's worth your while.
1. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
This book was one that captured my attention so much I read it all in one day. I am typically a slow reader and this one made me literally not want to put it down. The Fault in Our Stars is the story of Hazel Lancaster and Augustus Waters, two Indianapolis teenagers who meet at a Cancer Kid Support Group. It is a beautiful story that reminds you the beauty of living. I recommend this to anyone especially if you are new to John Green books or enjoy books in the YA section.
2. Paper Towns by John Green
This book was the fiction that got me reading fiction again. Near the end of my Senior year I had stopped reading fiction books almost entirely. I had a friend recommend and loan this book to me and as I began to flip through the pages I soon did not want to put it down. Paper Towns tells the story of Q and his girl-next-door crush, Margo Roth Spiegelman. After a spontaneous adventure night of revenge, Margo goes missing and Q believes she has left him clues to find her. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees of the girl he thought he knew. This is a beautiful story of uncovering the true feelings of people underneath the paper lives that they live. I recommend this to anyone especially if you enjoy YA novels.
3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
As much as I enjoy the entire series, the 7th book is one of my all time favorites. It happens to be the only book that I currently own in the series, due to the fact that I was not allowed to read the series growing up. For those who have been living under a rock for the past 16 years or who have been banned from reading this series (Silly concept, since their parents likely did not read the series either and further more could not truly know what was in the books...) the Harry Potter series follows the life of Harry, a wizard, and his posse, Ron Weasley & Hermione Granger, as they attend Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. As they uncover the secrets of Hogwarts they embark on many adventures on a quest to defeat the evil Lord Voldemort. I have chosen the Deathly Hallows as my favorite in the series because it is the final one that ties everything up. I also enjoy it for the Christian illustrations that can be seen all throughout the book. I recommend this book to anyone who has read the first 6 and enjoys a good YA fantasy.
4. The Gandalara Cycle Volumes 1&2 by Randall Garrett and Vicki Ann Heydron
For this next recommendation I present a 7 book series, however I recommend them all as one because the books are so short (around 100 pages a piece, with the final book being 300 pages) they could equal the length of a decent sized book. I found that the Wikipedia description of the series puts it perfectly: "Ricardo Carillo, an aging language professor with a terminal illness, is flirting with a captivating young woman on a Mediterranean cruise ship. They both watch with wonder, and a growing horror, as a dazzlingly beautiful star quickly grows to engulf the sky and then crashes into the ship. Ricardo awakens in a blinding hot desert, with no idea where he is and a dead man by his side.Without knowing how or why, Ricardo finds himself inhabiting the body of a strong, healthy, young man named Markasset. Ricardo quickly learns that Markasset is wanted for murder and the theft of a precious and powerful gemstone, the Ra'ira. Ricardo has only a smattering of Markasset's memories, and no idea if he is guilty or innocent. But with the help of a giant warcat named Keeshah, with whom he shares a telepathic bond, and the beautiful illusionist, Tarani, Ricardo sets out on a quest to recover the missing gemstone and clear his new name. I recommend this great scifi to anyone who enjoys a good adventure book and especially to those beginning to broaden their horizon's from YA books.
5. Blink of an Eye by Ted Dekker
Throughout my high school years I read many of Ted Dekker's books because they all fascinated me. He always seemed to have different ways of getting you to think. This particular book presented a great way to view the future. The story tells the tale of how a certified genius, Seth, is given the ability to see the future by God, but the future is not what we would think it to be. When Seth sees the future he does not see one set in stone future, he sees all the possible futures that could happen based on each choice he could make and he is left to choose which one he wants. After discovering this power, Seth meets Miriam, a runaway Saudi Arabian Princess whose fleeing a forced marriage. With this new found ability Seth helps Miriam find protection from those who are trying to recapture her. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good adventure novel.
6 Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Set in a dystopian future, Fahrenheit 451 tells of a world where books are outlawed and firemen are those who are required to burn any that they find. In the beginning of the novel we meet Guy Montag, a fireman, and one night on his way back from work he meets Clarisse McClellan a teenage girl whose free-thinking ideals and liberating spirit cause him to question his life and perceptions. Bradbury created a prophetic world with a message that we may need to hear today in our disconnected world. I read this book in a political fiction class my senior year of high school and I would recommend it to anyone.
7. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Those who know me, know that I am one who hates sad stories; yet there is something about this tale that captivates me. This is the beautiful story of two friends, Lennie and George, who are displaced migrant ranch workers who are in search of job opportunities during the Great Depression. This is a great book for those who enjoy the classics. I find this to be a great book for teenagers and adults alike to read, I would not recommend it to children, though it may be an easy read, due to the language throughout it.
8. 1984 by George Orwell
In stark contrast to Aldous Huxley's Brave New World (which I would recommend, but it's not a Top Ten), 1984 presents a dystopian society where there is an omnipresent government known as Big Brother, public mind control, and a very strict, oppressive political party that persecutes all individualism and independent thinking which is defined as thoughtcrimes. The protagonist is Winston Smith, a member of the Outer-party who works in re-writing past newspaper articles and secretly dreams of rebelling against Big Brother. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys dystopian novels.
9. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
This is the 3rd and final book in the Hunger Games trilogy and yet it is my favorite book of the three. Often times I have heard that this is the least favorite of people, so that is why I wanted to recommend it. Though it is incredibly different than the former books, it ties up everything very nicely and does a great job at showing the atrocity of violence in the world. This series tells the tale of Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark the two "star-crossed lovers" who survived the Hunger Games and started a rebellion against the corrupt government known as, The Capital. I especially enjoy this book for the back stories on the characters all throughout the book. I recommend this book to anyone who reads the first two books and enjoys a good YA dystopian novel.
10. Reflex by Steven Gould
Author of Jumper and Helm, Steven Gould has become one of my favorite Science Fiction authors. After reading Helm and then seeing the movie for Jumper I had to Gould's two part series on teleportation. Reflex is the exciting sequel to Jumper (which the movie completely changed) which tells the story of David Rice, a man who learns that he was born with the ability to teleport places. The first novel centers around David trying to come to terms with the fact that he is what they call a Jumper and that there is a group of people who want him dead. Reflex however picks up on his life where he is happily married and working for a National Security Agency on jobs that he finds to be morally acceptable. Early on in the novel, David is captured by a powerful criminal organization that has found a way to contain Jumpers. The novel jumps between David's life as a captive and his wife Millie's adventure to save him as she discovers that she's gained the ability to jump. I recommend this book to anyone who likes science fiction and anyone who reads Jumper first. You do not have to see the movie and I even recommend that you do not compare the movie to the book in any way, shape, or form.
These are 10 of my top favorite fiction novels. These 10 were incredibly hard to choose and there are many more I could include on this list. I hope you enjoy the adventures that these novels will take you on. If I mentioned a book that is the final book in the series I hope that you will read the whole series and not just the book I mentioned.
Grace & Peace.
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