I can’t get arrested for bibliophilia, right?

Daily Challenges:
Day 1 – Write some basic things about yourself
Day 2 – 10 likes & dislikes
Day 3 – The meaning behind your Open Diary name
Day 4 – Your day, in great detail
Day 5 – Five places you want to visit and why
Day 6 – What band/musician is most important to you?
Day 7 – Do you read? What are your favorite book?
Day 8 – Pet Peeves
Day 9 – If you could live off of one food and beverage for the rest of your days, what would they be?
Day 10 – Post a picture of your desktop
Day 11 – What is your favorite quote?
Day 12 – Your current relationship, if single discuss how single life is
Day 13 – Three confessions of your choice
Day 14 – Things you want to say to an ex
Day 15 – A photo of someone you fancy at the moment
Day 16 – If the world were to end tomorrow, what would you do with your remaining time on earth?
Day 17 – What do you want to be when you get older?
Day 18 – Name the tv show(s) you have become addicted to
Day 19 – The best thing to happen to you this week
Day 20 – Your definition of love
Day 21 – What kind of person attracts you?
Day 22 – A picture of what you wore today
Day 23 – A letter to someone. Anyone
Day 24 – Would you rather date someone plain with an amazing personality or someone beautiful with a plain personality?
Day 25 – Seven things that cross your mind a lot
Day 26 – How you hope your future will be like
Day 27 – A picture of your handwriting
Day 28 – Do you wish for anything at 11:11? If so, what do you wish for?
Day 29 – Picture of yourself
Day 30 – Anything you want to post

 

Okay. Short answer: Yes. Yes I do.

Long answer: I love books. LOVE them. I love them so much that my dream job is writing them, and my favorite hobby that dominates my thoughts is thinking of more of them to write.

In my opinion, out of all of the quintillion different forms of entertainment that those of us with first world problems can take in these days, a good old fashioned book is STILL the best, assuming of course that you’re reading a good one. A bad one is, conversely, the absolute worst thing you can be doing.

Why is it the best? Because it engages your mind, and sharpens it. Forces it to actually make up the images for you, and tunes up your attention span. All while having enough space to be as long or as short as a story demands.

It should be noted that anything I mentioned here will hopefully be a little less obvious than the all time great works of literature that most everyone loves and adores. To that end, you won’t see anything like Lord of the Rings, or The Three Musketeers (two of my favorites) here. Because while I love them, they’re sort of obvious.

What are my favorite books? So glad you asked…

 

 

The Wishsong of Shannara, by Terry Brooks

This book MUST be mentioned in any favorite book list I make, for one simple reason…. it’s the book that made me decide I wanted to be a writer. I can still remember that afternoon, after school, reading it while sitting in the library waiting for my mom to pick me up. If you want to get all nitpicky, there’s nothing groundbreaking or particularly special about it. It’s a story about an evil book that must be destroyed by our heroes, lest some bad guys get ahold of it and ruin the world.

But the characters… the characters are so cool. You’ve got Brin, who can alter reality by simply singing (this power is called the Wishsong. Of course.). You’ve got Rone Leah, with his magic sword that can summon fire. Flaming swords are always cool, I don’t care who you are. And of course, in the back there you’ve got Allanon, the last of the Druids. Druids in the Shannara books are basically wizards. This book also has the honor of having one of my favorite characters ever in a novel, Garet Jax, the weapon master. I’ve used this name for a variety of games, and even my old email address. *SPOILERS* He dies in this book, but the way he goes down is perhaps one of the coolest and most badass ways a fantasy hero has ever gone out. *SPOILERS*

To me, classic epic fantasy novels are comfort food. And this is like fried chicken, potato salad, and mac and cheese rolled into one. Sure, that sounds gross, but work with me here.

The Vampire Lestat, by Anne Rice

Before vampires were bastardized into a thinly veiled "beautiful misunderstood monster with a good heart" archetype by a billion teen dramas that wanted something different from just the "troubled hot guy" motif, you had vampires like the ones Anne Rice wrote about. They were beautiful and tortured, sure, just like the ones of today. But the major difference… and the reason why I love these books… is because they never really let you forget that underneath all that glamor, they’re still monsters. They still kill you for your blood, and they look at you as food, not as a love interest. They were relatable, in a way, but only in the way you can relate to that tiger pacing around in a cage at the zoo.

I prefer this book to its predecessor, Interview with the Vampire, for a few reasons. Lestat as a character was vastly more complex than Louis, I think. The original book made him look like a villain on an almost vaudvilllian level, always ruining Louis’ day and terrorizing everyone he met. Here, you find out he is a much more layered character, with fears, doubts, and a plethora of problems that explain a bit why he acts the way he does.

I also admire how effortlessly the book takes you from the time of his humanity, in the remains of a dying Feudal system in France, all the way to present day. To me, this is the definitive vampire novel, and I doubt it will ever truly be surpassed.

American Gods, by Neil Gaiman

I love mythology. It doesn’t really matter what culture it is. I find it fascinating, and it tells you so much about some cultures that don’t even exist anymore. When you stop and consider the fact that some of these stories that cultures told to entertain, to scare, and to teach moralistic lessons have outlived the actual culture itself, it kind of gives me goosebumps. That is power. But think about when people actually believed in them.

This book has a simple concept, again…. what if all those gods, demigods, and creatures from those stories are still alive and well? What if they simply lost their power as those that believed in them fell away? How far would one of them go… to get that power back? To get believed in again.

Mr. Wednesday is one such character, and is so compelling on so many levels. He comes across as a con man, a hustler, a D-list

celebrity that’s desperate to get into the spotlight again. You know he’s technically the bad guy, but you can understand why he so badly wants to reach his goals, even if others must suffer for him to get it. He’s one of my favorite villains ever, for that reason. A truly good villain has a good reason for doing what they do. He really did.

Again, this is a case of simple concepts… but perfect execution. Absolutely perfect. I’ve lent this book out several times, and bought it several times when I never got my copy back. It’s that good.

Best Served Cold, by Joe Abercrombie

In my opinion, Joe Abercrombie is the best writer of dark fantasy that’s alive and going today. Period. Yep. He’s better than George RR Martin. There, I said it. I love the A Song of Ice and Fire series, don’t get me wrong, but Abercrombie has him beat on a couple of points that I feel are completely vital to a good story: his characters actually have realistic motivations, and he can tell a complete story that doesn’t feel plodding OR rushed.

This book, to me, is basically an updated version of The Count of Monte Cristo, which is in itself one of the best novels ever written. It’s just a version with a lot more blood, a lot more black humor, and a plot twist that’s almost impossible to see coming, even though I just told you. It’s that good.

But then again, all of his books are good. I just chose this one because it’s one book, not a trilogy, and has no real weaknesses. I love this book so much that I own the version pictured above, but I still bought a limited edition version too.

 

The Lies of Locke Lamora, by Scott Lynch

This book… is just something else. What if you want a fantasy story to read, but you don’t want a classic character archetype like the farmboy who saves the world, or the price seeking his true love, or the wizard searching for the macguffin of the week? What if you want a storyline that’s more personal, where nothing material is in peril, but it still makes you feel like everything is on the line? What if you want a gentleman bastard, a lying con man thief who’s pushed too far as the hero? A guy who can’t win a straight up fight with anyone, and is fine with that, because his tongue is sharper than any sword?

Then read.this.book. That’s all I can say. It’s like Ocean’s 11 in a fantasy universe, without George Clooney and all that silly celebrity pandering. It just screams unique, and it’s just brilliant.

 

 

Dead Beat, by Jim Butcher

Honestly, I could probably list any Dresden book here and be comfortable with my choice. I love them all, and Jim Butcher, to me, is the most entertaining author alive today. I’ve read many of his books more than once, and even modelled a few of my own books after his style, since I too seek to be a simply entertaining author.

So why’d I pick this one? Well… it’s got necromancers, zombies, carries on several plot points in stunning continuity, fun villains, and oh yes, the most awesome climax of any urban fantasy book you will ever read. God, I love this book.

Also, Jim himself listed this as his favorite Dresden book. And I totally agree with him.

 

I could go on forever, and maybe I will, at another time. But for now, I think I want a snack. Read one of these books. If you’re anything like me, you definitely won’t be disappointed.