Before I’ve written on 8 Obscure Books I Thoroughly Enjoyed, (some of which I should have classified as popular; oh, well) but
today I’m here to talk about some of the popular ones. Obscure books are fun to
introduce, sure, but popular books can help people find fellow readers with
similar tastes, and you can talk with your bookworm friends about your favorite
stories for hours on end. Here goes!
The following books are not books from my Treasured Books list. I originally had the books listed on this post, but the list got too
long for one post. I rant enough about those anyway, so here are just a few
books I may not mention much but deserve notice. Book are organized by author’s
last name.
The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander
Though lesser known
than his fellow Inklings and writer friends J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis,
Lloyd Alexander’s The Chronicles
of Prydain are still read and
enjoyed today with over 66,000 ratings on Goodreads. The second book, The Black
Cauldron, was probably my favorite of the series, but The Book of Three does an excellent job introducing this strange yet endearing world.
The Neverending
Story by Michael Ende
Can we just take a
moment to appreciate the author’s last name with the book’s title? I was one of
those kids who grew up watching the movies, wishing I could be a great warrior
like Atréju and befriend a luck dragon. In college I read the book and fell in
love with the story all over again, and more so. While the movies wrap up their
plots with a neat little bow, the book just keeps going, reinforcing the title
in a new way. The book is much better than its adaptations.
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
Pretty sure I rant about this one a lot. A really quirky and
kinda dark fantasy with one of those movies that’s just as good as the book, though
listening to Gaiman read his own book is rather enchanting! I particularly
enjoyed the way the story included multiple types of fairytale tropes from the
hapless (and somewhat idiotic) romantic to clever women (not all of whom are
good) and greedy princes, all within the land of Faerie.
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
A magical realism novel that left me wondering what was real
and what was magical—this book is heartbreakingly beautiful. The story combines
the myths surrounding Russian folklore of the snow child with the harsh reality
of winter—and life—in rural Alaska. Not only is it an excellent portrayal of
the harsh beauty of nature, but it’s also a profound story about the loss of a
child and found love.
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
I enjoyed this one
way more than I thought I would, considering it’s length and how I initially
didn’t make it past the prologue. But I’m glad I made the effort to read it. Like
The Naming, the story features a musician, but from
there on the stories differ. The main character Kvothe, as it turns out, is a
troublemaker but will still go to extreme measures to help people. The only
problem is that I didn’t care as much for the sequel, and the third book still
isn’t out yet.
The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
Do you ever have
those go-to authors? You know the ones, when you don’t quite know which genre
you’re in the mood for, but you always enjoy X’s work? Sanderson is one of
those authors for me.
While his writing
style gets better with each book in the series, The Final Empire is still
my favorite because the magic system is so well thought out, the characters are
incredibly dynamic, Elend is a cinnamon roll, Vin is a beast, and Kelsier kinda
scares me but I like him.
But let me warn you
before you start… EVERYTHING YOU THINK YOU KNOW IS A LIE! All right.
You’ve been warned. Enjoy!
A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab
Never judge a book
by it’s cover. Hahahaha! (That is 12% authentic laugh.) I may have read this
book because I saw it’s cover in England, thought it was so intriguing, then
went back to my library in Italy and checked it out. That right there is
effective marketing at work.
While the book
reminded me a little bit of The
Lord of the Rings—beware the evil
trinket—and an even tinier bit of Jonathan
Strange & Mr Norrell—haven’t
we met this mad king of England before?—A Darker Shade of Magic also
manages to have an intricately-built world. Or shall I saw worlds? There are
four Londons after all.
Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
"I'm not a girl. I'm a shark!"
This graphic novel was an impulse read at my local library
and later an impulse buy. 99% of the time my impulse reads or my impulse buys,
when I haven’t read the book yet—those impulses are terrible. Nimona was
that brilliant 1% exception. The art is quirky yet beautiful, and I enjoy the
way the story confronts the definition of what a villain is and what a hero can
be.
Let’s chat! What are some of your favorite popular fantasy
novels? How about favorite characters? Enjoy any of the ones I listed?
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