My Top 10 Favorite Books!

Bonjour à tous ! (Hello everyone!)

Todays blog post is all about my top 10 favorite books in literature! This list features books both new and old, by male and female authors, parts of series or standalones, and books in several different genres.

I will not be doing a full review of these books in this post, it will be more of a generalized synopsis and an insight into the types of books I enjoy reading.

Alors, on y va! (So let's go!)

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#10 - A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (Pub. 1962)

This book starts out my list because Madeleine L'Engle is a prolific writer who can uniquely combine both fantasy, religion, and science all into a book that not only appeals primarily to younger readers but also older ones. Out of all her books I choose to feature this one because of the featured quote below and the message carried out throughout the entire novel. That is while life has many standards, rules, and or regulations - we can shape ourselves however we see fit yet still fall within the lines of set standards. To me this is beautiful because its means that you can experience life however you see want - but still truly capture the essence and fall between the lines of what it means to be human.

Favorite Quote: “Life, with its rules, its obligations, and its freedoms, is like a sonnet: You're given the form, but you have to write the sonnet yourself."

#9 - Code Name Veriety by Elizabeth Wein (Pub. 2012)

Up next is Code Name Variety, a historical fiction book set in WW2 era France! I've selected this book for a few different reasons. The first and most important being that it has a unique writing style. The main character "Verity" is arrested upon touchdown in France forced to give information to the Nazis - but she isn't tell her story, rather it's her best friend, and Maddie's the pilot. Code Name Verity is a stunning story about friendship in the darkest of times. Also Elizabeth Wien does a masterful job of making you feel like you are being interrogated by Gestapo - by proving numerous amounts of information on things related to planes, and the Allies plans. This story is for history buffs, and lovers of the art of storytelling!

Favorite Quote: “It's like being in love, discovering your best friend.”

#8 - Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer (Pub. 2006)

If you are looking for a good sob story, then look no further than Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. This story predominately follows Oskar Schell, the son of Thomas Schell, a man who lost his life during the terror attacks in New York City on September 11, 2001. While periodically throughout the book we will get chapters called "Why I'm Not Where You Are." These chapters are to give us more depth into the Schell family - see, theses chapters and others like it are told from Oskar's grandmother and grandfathers points of view. This is a story about growth, accepting death, and what you would and will do for your love ones. Now while this exact story is not true - many of the elements that make it up are. So if you're someone who isn't really into fantasy or science fiction, give this one a try!

Favorite Quote: “Sometimes I can hear my bones straining under the weight of all the lives I'm not living.”

#7 - Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel (Pub. 2016)

Sleeping Giants is the newest book on my top 10 favorite pieces of literature. (With the series not being done until at least 2018.) Under normal circumstances, I would not post a book that I've read only twice and that recently just came out. However, when I first read this book this past December - I thought to myself this book is going to be a science fiction game changer! Sylvain Neuvel's debut novel is a blend between fast paced action, comedy and aliens. It is a must read for anyone who loves realistic science fiction. Now wait - I just said there were alien in this book so how is it realistic? Well, Mr. Neuvel masterfully creates a world very similar to our own in which every detail is expertly thought out. Which is no small feat considering this story is is primarily told in dialogue. (There are only a handful of chapters that are not set up as a traditional book.) No matter what scientific concept is being explained, location or any other situation you can tell that it was expertly researched and that each word was purposely chosen. That's why this book is on my top 10 favorite pieces of literature.

Its sequel Waking Gods just came out this past April and is currently my top book of 2017! Go check this story and its sequel if you love unique story telling techniques and science fiction!

Favorite Quote: “Stories are there to entertain, preserve history, or serve a societal purpose of some kind.”

#6 - The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (Pub. 2011)

Can you write 50,000 words in a month and, then essentially be prepared to publish it? Well, that's what Erin Morgenstern did; she took up the NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) challenge and created the novel you see in front of you! The Night Circus follows two performers inside the Le Cirque des Rêves (The Circus of Dreams) but there's much more than meets the eye in the stunning all black and white circus. The circus is a battleground for two magicians/sorcerers - where each tent / attraction built is to try and one up the other. In the end thought, only one is allowed to walk out of the circus alive. This book has a bit of something in it for everyone. There is magic, love, and stunning descriptions all throughout this novel!

Favorite Quote: “Someone needs to tell those tales. When the battles are fought and won and lost, when the pirates find their treasures and the dragons eat their foes for breakfast with a nice cup of Lapsang souchong, someone needs to tell their bits of overlapping narrative. There's magic in that. It's in the listener, and for each and every ear it will be different, and it will affect them in ways they can never predict. From the mundane to the profound. You may tell a tale that takes up residence in someone's soul, becomes their blood and self and purpose. That tale will move them and drive them and who knows what they might do because of it, because of your words. That is your role, your gift. Your sister may be able to see the future, but you yourself can shape it, boy. Do not forget that... there are many kinds of magic, after all.”

#5 - Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard (Pub. 1966)

Starting off the top 5 is the existential play by Tom Stoppard, - Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead ! I have to admit that part of the reason why this book makes my list is purely for the fact of all the inside jokes my AP English class had made about it my senior year of high school. But beyond that I think that Tom Stoppard was wildly inventive choosing two minor characters from the Shakespearean classic Hamlet and making them question life inside of the realms of literature but then also in the terms of existential reality. If you're looking for a quick humorous read and or you love Shakespeare, then this is must read!

Favorite Quote: “Look on every exit as being an entrance somewhere else.”

#4 - The Cry of the Icemark by Stuart Hill (Pub. 2005)

Before, I talk about this novel, I should preface it by saying that one of the reasons I originally gravitated to this book was because my favorite author, Cornelia Funke, had a review of it on the cover. So couple that with my love of fantasy novels and it was almost a sure sign that I was going to love this story, and boy was I right. The Cry of the Icemark takes place in a fictitious kingdom called Icemark, which is for most of the year covered in snow and ice. The book starts off, where we find out that an empire, akin to the Roman Empire, has set its eyes on Icemark and is about to invade. On top of that we see that the surrounding kingdoms [next to Icemark] are populated with werewolves, vampires and giant talking snow leopards. (Yes, that's right, snow leopards who can talk and bite your head off exist in this book.) Now with a dangerous enemy moving closer to their territory they must make a decision to either fight alongside the Icemark or hope that the pragmatic science driven people of the Polipontans Empire ignore then. This book features plenty of battle scenes for those who love action packed stories!

Favorite Quote: “You are about to enter the realms of human beings. Be prepared for cruelty and kindness, for friendship and hatred. People are made of all possibilities and conditions.”

#3 - Sabriel by Garth Nix (Pub. 1995)

Sabriel is another game changing novel, but this time for the fantasy genre! Sabriel, is the first of five books in an epic high fantasy world created by master world builder Garth Nix. The stories revolves around a world of magic that is connected to ours via a wall; on the other side of this wall is the land of magic known as the charter. The charter makes up every living thing, and those who are trained as charter mages can pull forth the marks needed to create spells and other various magical effects. However what really makes this novel interesting is that there are three magical bloodlines - each one tasked with a specific purpose and duty to the charter. There is the royal line, tasked with preserving the land and the people. Next is, the Clayr - a mostly women group of individuals with the power to see the future. And finally, there are those in the Abhorsen line - they are a group of necromancers who use seven magical bells not to raise the dead, but rather bind them and send them back to death. Garth Nix created a magical series full of lore, mystery and wonder that all those who love fantasy should read!

Favorite Quote: “Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?”

#2 - Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (Pub. 1953)

Here's a book that probably doesn't need an introduction, the dystopian classic Fahrenheit 451. More than likely you would have had to have read this book during your tenure in high school. If for some reason you didn't or rather you only sparknoted this book - let me tell you why you should pick it up now. Fahrenheit 451 is a quick read, and if you admire modern dystopian novels like Divergent or the Hunger Games, chances are you would like this one too. The protagonist Guy Montag is a fireman, who in this society actually start fires, not stop them. The fireman are tasked with going into homes and during books. Literature, and all other forms of the liberal arts are outlawed. Individuals are encouraged to spend countless hours in front of the tv, and doing other mind-numbing dangerous activities. School not like anything we have now. Simply put, its quick, and without substance. The society presented in Fahrenheit 451 represents what happens when we take away books. Books force people to get out of their comfort zone - thus why they were censored in this book. So if you are a lover of dystopian YA fiction - pick up this classic to see where the craze started!

Favorite Quote: “There must be something in books, something we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing.”

#1 - Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (Pub. 2003)

Closing out the list, is my all time favorite book, by my all time favorite author. Inkheart, much like Fahrenheit 451, is a book about books. Inkheart is the story of a father-daughter duo who are gifted with a unique ability to read things life, no matter what book they are taken from. Anything from riches to people can be brought into our world - simply with the power of Maggie, or her father Mo's voice. However not all is as amazing as it seems. See when they read aloud, there is always an exchange - something from our world then must enter the book realm from which said thing was brought forth from. So now imagine, the most horrible villain from your favorite book has came to life...well, that exact thing happened to Maggie and Mo. They must deal with Capricorn the villain of a book title Inkheart. Capricorn is not someone to mess with.

If you pick up this story, I promise you will not be disappointed. Cornelia Funke, is one most skilled writers alive today. Every novel she creates is masterfully built and filled with gorgeous descriptions. Each character she creates, could easily slip into our own world. That is her gift! Inkheart is the first in a trilogy about books, love, fear, and friendship and more. If you someone who thoroughly enjoys the power of the printed word, then I recommend this book to you!

Favorite Quote: “You know what they say: When people start burning books they'll soon burn human beings.”

Bonus Quote: “Books have to be heavy because the whole world's inside them.”

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Well there you have it - these are my top 10 favorite books in literature right now! At a later point, I will do an individual review of each book and or series - but right now I just wanted to give a glimpse into my reading habits. (I do have to admit, I wasn't until I finished writing this article, did I realize that four of these books have the French language/culture being important to the characters and or plot in them!)

I hope you all enjoy this post, and potentially found a new book to read! Let me know in the comments your thoughts on these book if you have ever read them before! Also please feel free to mention in the comments or on twitter some of your favorite books!

À bientôt! (See you soon!)

~Austin

*If you have a book you would like me to review or talk about send me an email or message me on social media @RevivreLeLivre!*

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