luvtoread

Since I’m new to this blogging thing, I thought I’d list my 10 favorite books/series for you all so you can get an idea of the types of books that I love. These books are in no particular order, as I am incapable of nailing down my favorite book. Seriously.  When asked what my favorite book is, I freeze up, and tend to answer with several different great books that I’ve recently read.  This list spans many years of reading and are the books where I keep replaying certain scenes in my mind.  It was hard to get it down to ten!

1. A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin – this series has it all, from dragons and magic, to knights and ladies. You’ve got romance, battles, fantasy, and political intrigue. With well-written, fleshed-out characters, this series never ceases to surprise me, and to be surprised while reading is very refreshing. My favorite of the series (so far) is A Storm of Swords, which ends with several of the most beautiful, surprising chapters I’ve ever read.
2. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling – A wonderful, magical series. I wish I could be a part of this world. My favorite of the series is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I just adore the Ministry of Magic scenes and the fun and magic at Hogwarts with one of the best love-to-hate villains in the Potter universe.
3. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – I love this book and can read it over and over again. A sparkling romantic comedy and one of the best female heroines I’ve ever read. This is actually not my favorite of Austen’s books (that would be Persuasion), but it makes my overall top 10 over Persuasion because of its readability, and the wonderful adaptations of it, and c’mon, we all wish we had a Mr Darcy in our lives.
4. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – What a beautiful, sad commentary on the American dream. Jay Gatsby is a character that draws you in. You want him to succeed in life and in love. And the last lines of the book? Perhaps my favorite literary quote.
5. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens –This was one of the first classics I ever read, and I can still hear the echo of knitting needles and the guillotine.
6. Notre-Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre-Dame) by Victor Hugo – I love a detailed, gothic story, and this has everything in it. It ends with the most haunting image of love. And I’ve always wanted to shout out “Sanctuary!” at the top of my lungs.
7. Macbeth by William Shakespeare – Beautiful writing, a descent into madness, and the witches. I read this at a very young age, and it sparked my interest in all things dark and twisty.
8. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton – A gorgeous story that goes back and forth in time, and has a crumbling cottage with an overgrown garden, and a very Dickensian feel to it. It has strong female characters and brings in some original fairy tales to further transport you. Another Kate Morton book that almost makes my top 10 is The Distant Hours. An old mansion, with sisters that have lived away from society for years. You won’t be able to put these books down! I’m eagerly awaiting her next book, The Lake House, which is released next week.
9. Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers – A powerful historical fiction series set in ancient Rome. I’m due for a re-read of this marvelous series!
10. Night by Elie Wiesel – Books like this are the ones that keep me up at night. This is a very powerful story of one man’s survival of the Holocaust.

And those are my top 10 favorites! Do you have any favorites to recommend to me?