Books in Series:

1. The Way of Kings

2. Words of Radiance

3. Oathbringer

4. Rhythm of War

5. Wind and Truth

It’s pretty difficult to pick an all time favorite. It changes over time as we ourselves grow and change. That being said, The Stormlight Archive has consistently come out on top for me. Epic fantasy at its finest. See the full review here.

Books in Series:

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix

6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

This one was difficult to rank. There is something special about Harry Potter and the impact it had on me (and my generation), but it’s become a bit tainted because of J.K. Rowling. I try to seperate the author from their work, but it’s easier said than done. Still, it’s hard to deny how much joy it’s given me over the years.

Books in Series:

1. Red Rising

2. Golden Son

3. Morning Star

4. Iron Gold

5. Dark Age

6. Light Bringer

7. Red God

Red Rising in an epic sci-fi series full of action and emotion. It’s a thrilling ride and I find myself coming back to it a few times now. Read the whole review here.

Books in Series:

1. Mistborn: The Final Empire

2. The Well of Ascension

3. The Hero of Ages

4. The Alloy of Law

5. Shadows of Self

6. The Bands of Mourning

7. The Lost Metal

We’re back with another series from Brandon Sanderson, which is a part of his larger Cosmere universe. These books hold a special place in my heart, as they really got me into fantasy and reading in general. See the full review here.

Books in Series:

1. Dungeon Crawler Carl

2. Carl’s Doomsday Scenario

3. The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook

4. The Gate of the Feral Gods

5. The Butcher’s Masquerade

6. The Eye of the Bedlam Bride

7. This Inevitable Ruin

Okay, so, this series took me utterly by surprise. Part of the reason it’s ranked so highly might be because I just read it, but I have a feeling this is going to stay one of my all time favorites. It’s gory, irreverent, funny, emotional, and not for the faint of heart. DO NOT start this series until you’ve read the review. It’s not for everyone.

Books in Series:

1. Unsouled          2. Soulsmith

3. Blackflmae       4. Skysworn

5. Ghosewater      6. Underlord

7. Uncrowned       8. Wintersteel

9. Bloodline          10. Reaper

11. Dreadgod        12. Waybound

This was pretty much my introduction to something called progression Fantasy. It essentially focuses on a main character and their increasing abilities over time. Cradle is such a wonderful series and I loved it very much.

Books in Series:

1. We Are Legion (We Are Bob)

2. For We Are Many

3. All These Worlds

4. Heaven’s River

5. Not Till We Are Lost

I just absolutely love the premise for these books. It’s about a guy who dies and later wakes up with his conciousness in a computer about a hundred years later. He is slated to be the controlling AI of an interstellar probe, but it’s not without danger and intrigue. Check out my review for the first book here, if you’re interested in getting into the series.

Books in Series:

1. The Name of the Wind

2. A Wise Man’s Fear

An incredible fantasy series that I think people enjoy even if they’re not that into fantasy. Told in Kvothe’s own voice, this is the tale of the magically gifted young man who grows to be the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen. Warning: The second book in this trilogy was released in 2011 and we have yet to see the third and final book. It’s a thing in the fantasy world: Patrick Rothfuss and George R.R. Martin just can’t seem to finish their series, even with decades to do so.

Books in Series:

1. Ready Player One

2. Ready Player Two

This book is definitely special to me. It is just such a fun, entertaining story that kept me up late into the night. While I wasn’t the biggest fan of Ready Player Two, the first book is good enough to make it an all time favorite.

Books in Series:

1. The Eye of the World
2. The Great Hunt
3. The Dragon Reborn
4. The Shadow Rising
5. The Fires of Heaven
6. Lord of Chaos
7. A Crown of Swords
8. The Path of Daggers
9. Winter’s Heart
10. Crossroads of Twilight
11. Knife of Dreams
12. The Gathering Storm
13. A Memory of Light 

Books in Series:

1. Too Like the Lightning
2. Seven Surrenders
3. The Will to Battle
4. Perhaps the Stars

I found these books to be an extremely interseting and compelling look at what society may looks like in the future, but with a twist. These books are defnitely not going to be for everyone and is probably that lowest rated by the public among my top picks. But I can’t help but enjoy it.

Standalone Book

I’m not terribly surpised to see this as the first standalone book in my rankings. I first read it in my early twenties and have read it again since. It’s held up. An interesting and heartfelt read.

Books in Series:

1. A Game of Thrones
2. A Clash of Kings
3. A Storm of Swords
4. A Feast for Crows
5. A Dance with Dragons
6. Winds of Winter (maybe)

So, I’ll say it: the tv series was better than the books. However, it does give a lot more detail than the show (sometimes too much). And there is also the fact that George R.R. Martin will likely not finish this series in his lifetime.

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I was a little surprised to find this standalone so high up in my rankings, but when I compared it with others, it kept coming back to the top. It’s a great read, one that I’ve read a couple times now and will likely read again one day.

Books in Series:

1. The Passage
2. The Twelve
3. The City of Mirrors

This is a fantastic post apocalyptic trilogy. The first book was very good. The second, okay. But the third book… One of the best books I’ve ever read. 

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My favorite of Amor Towles books. He’s an incredible writer and I loved this book of humor, beauty, and emotional insight.

Books in Series:

1. The Rook
2. Stilleto
3. Blitz
4. Royal Gambit (coming soon)

The Rook begins with a woman, Myfawny Thomas, waking up surrounded by bodies all wearing latex gloves and no memory of how she got where she was or even who she is. She then discovers that she works for a secret organization in London that combats the supernatural. It’s a great read with a lot of interesting supernatural powers.

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I love Andy Weir, and I’ve throroughly enjoyed all the books he’s published so far. Though they are all good, Project Hail Mary is my favorite. Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish. Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

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David Mitchell is, without a doubt, one of the best writers I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. His stories are compelling for sure, but they really shine because of his incredible prose.

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The Martian is such a fantastic sci-fi story. It’s harrowing yet funny. And there is no one better at making technical science fun and interesting more than Andy Weir.

Books in Series:

1. Night Watch
2. Day Watch
3. Twilight Watch
4. The Last Watch
5. New Watch
6. Sixth Watch

I’ve read this paranormal fantasy series twice now, and I really enjoyed it both times. It’s very smart and philosphical and kept me guessing the whole time.

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An extremely powerful story about a girl growing up abandoned and in isolation out in the marshy wilderness. 

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My favorite World War II novel that follows two women in France as they face the struggles of the war.

Books in Series:

1. The Shadow of What Was Lost
2. An Echo of Things to Come
3. The Light of All That Falls

A really thought provoking fatansy trilogy that is really well written and narrated. It is a dizzying array of twist and turns where it’s essential to keep up with very deep and intricate storyline.

Books in Series:

1. The Hunger Games
2. Catching Fire
3. Mockingjay

I found The Hunger Games to be a fun and fast read that I devoured pretty quickly. I may not have found it quite as deep as some of my other favorites, but I definitely enjoyed it.

Books in Series:

1. Warbreaker
2. TBD

Another Brandon Sanderson Cosmere book. I really enjoyed it, even if it’s not his most popular, and it has a lot of tie ins with the rest of the Cosmere.

Books in Series:

1. The Fellowship of the Ring
2. The Two Towers
3. The Return of the King

I read the books a long time ago, and it’s a bit difficult to remember. I love the movies, but I definitely remember the books being somewhat slow and drawn out. Probably a consequence of it being a little dated at this point.

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This is definitely my favorite Stephen King novel. I definitely enjoy the post apocalyptic genre, and this one doesn’t disappoint.

Books in Series:

1. Elantris
2. TBD

Elantris was Brandon Sanderson’s first novel and the first book that takes place in his larger Cosmere universe. Looking forward to the next book in the series, some twenty or so years after the first was published.

Books in Series:

1. The Will of the Many
2. The Strength of a Few

I read this book very recently, but really fell in love with it. I thought the dialog and intrigue was superbly done, and the world building is really interesting too. Can’t wait for the Strength of a Few to come out.

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Really loved this standalone romantasy novel. France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. After 300 years of being alone, she finally meets someone who remembers her.

Books in Series:

1. Grone
2. Orus
3. Phade

Only the first book, Grone, is out as of writing this, but the other two books are slotted to come out at the end the year. The first book is a fast-paced adventure set in a world where the ambitious experiments of a game developer, a neuroscientist and a physicist have created a virtual universe more real than our own.

Books in Series:

1. To Your Scattered Bodies Go
2. The Fabulous Riverboat
3. The Dark Design
4. The Magic Labyrinth
5. The Gods of Riverworld

As you may have surmised from the cover art, the Riverworld series was published quiet a bit ago (1971 for the first book). It has a really awesome premise though. It takes place in a world where everyone who has ever lived wakes up along the banks of a seemingly endless river. The book follows explorer Richard Burton as he seeks to find the source of the river and why all of humanity has been placed there.

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Definitely my favorite John Green novel. While the book is definitely a heartbreaking novel, it is funny, romantic, and irreverent. It has definitely stuck with me.

Books in Series:

1. The Pillars of the Earth
2. World Without End
3. A Column of FIre
4. The Armor of Light

This is definitely a weird one for me. I absolutely loved The Pillars of the Earth, but I still have not gotten around to reading the other books in the series. Weird. Will update once I get to them.

Books in Series:

1. Outlander
2. Dragonfly in Amber
3. Voyager
4. Drums of Autumn
5. The Fiery Cross
6. A Breath of Snow and Ashes
7. An Echo in the Bone
8. Written in My Own Heart’s Blood
9. GO Tell the Bees That I Am Gone

This is another weird one for me. I’ve defintely enjoyed the books I’ve read (up to Drums of Autumn), but I haven’t picked up the fifth book, and it’s been a few years now. While a really great series, there is just SO MUCH sexual violence, and I think it took it’s toll on me.

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A wonderful and popular novel by Kathyrn Stockett, the story follows three women in 1962 Mississippi. It’s a very moving story that won’t dissapoint.

Books in Series:

1. Gardens of the Moon
2. Deadhouse Gates
3. Memories of Ice
4. House of Chains
5. Midnight Tides
6. The Bonehunters
7. Reaper’s Gale
8. Toll the Hounds
9. Dust of Dreams
10. The Crippled God

Yet another series that is strange to rank so highly because I have yet to finish it. It’s been a while now since I read book 8, Toll the Hounds, and I have yet to finish the series. That being said, there were some great books in this series (and not so great). 

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I’m a bit suprised to find the first Blake Crouch book on the list way down here. He’s novels are right up my alley, and I’ve very much enjoyed all of them. Dark Matter is my favorite among them though.

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This is a short Cosmere novel that is really whimsical and fairytale-like. It felt very warm and cozy and I would definitely recommend to any fantasy fans.

Books in Series:

1. Lonesome Dove
2. Streets of Laredo
3. Dead Man’s Walk
4. Comanche Moon

I’ve only read the first book, but it is such a classic. I’m not really that into Westerns, but this book is beautifully written and is really powerful.

Books in Series:

1. Cephrael’s Hand
2. The Dagger of Adendigaeth
3. Paths of Alir
4. Kingdom Blades
5. The Sixth Strand

This was definitely another tough series to rank. I really loved this epic fantasy series. It’s a really deep and intricate story that had a fierce following. It was with deep sorrow that I found out that the author passed away from cancer. She was quiet young too, making it that much harder. Incredibly sad that the series will never be finished and that the world lost such a creative soul.

Books in Series:

1. Blood Song
2. Tower Lord
3. Queen of Fire

Definitely an unusual series to rank because book one (Blood Song), was absolutely thrilling. It is definitely one of the best debut novels I’ve read. The only problem? Books two and three are only so so. 

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The second Amor Towles book to make my list, I really liked Rules of Civility. This was one where I read it at the right time during my life, which made it all the more enjoyable for me, but it’s defintely not as popular as A Gentleman in Moscow.

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A very popular book that was published in 2022, it follows two friends who, together, create blockbuster video games that propel them to stardom. Taking place over thirty years, it details their realationship and its twist and turns. As the description puts it: “Yes, it is a love story, but it is not one you have read before.”

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This fantasy novel is defintely unique as it explores the magical relationship between two magicians and the competition they are in. What I love most about this book though was the the unbelieveable desciptiveness and prose. The writing was just so good.

Books in Series:

1. Ender’s Game
2. Speaker for the Dead
3. Xenocide
4. Children of the Mind
5. Ender in Exile
6. The Last Shadow

I haven’t read all the books in this classic sci-fi series, but I loved Ender’s Game, thus earning its spot in the top 50.

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This is my favorite book of Fredrik Backman’s. He’s a great writer, full of insight on life and love. This is definitely an emotional one, but it’s filled with humor as well. Super popular too. Would recommend to anyone.

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Khaled Hosseini is such a brilliant and wonderful writer and definitely has a unique prespective, being from Kabul, Afghanistan. A Thousand Splendid Suns is my favorite book by him, though The Kite Runner is pretty close. This is a very powerfully emotional book, but it is definitely a masterpiece.

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Station Eleven is a pretty unique book. It takes place in the future, after a civilization ending flu ravages the world. It explores this new world while also detailing life before the pandemic, revealing surprising connections between the two.