7 Books I Always Recommend

Today marks the halfway point of 12 Days of Book Lists! I now present the 7 Books I Always Recommend. I’ve just now realized that the majority of these books have been adapted into movies. So if you’ve watched any of these movies, definitely check out the corresponding book. Even if you hated the movie. It’s worth it.

7. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
Ender’s Game is one of my favorite books ever. I would recommend it to anyone from middle grade on. If you like sci-fi or psychological thrillers, Ender’s story is one you will enjoy immensely. Or if you’ve seen the movie but haven’t read the book, READ THE BOOK. The movie was okay, but it doesn’t even come close to the magnificence of the book.

6. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
I actually watched the movie version of Angels and Demons before I read the book. This does not happen to me very often. The movie was great. I might not have thought so if I had read the book first. But that’s because I am super-critical of book-to-movie adaptations. The movie was good, however, it left out huge story arcs. If you enjoyed the movie, or have read any of Dan Brown’s other marvelous books, or like National Treasure-type adventures, I would highly highly recommend this book. I’ve reread it a countless amount of times, and it is still remarkable every time. I have heard that the facts are not completely reliable, but the book is still very entertaining and complex.

5. The Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini
The Kite Runner is so so so so so good. I’ve also reread this at least five times. I think every single person should read this.

4. Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut was a genius. His writing style has a perfect combination of humor and irony and complexity. If you’re looking explore the writings of Kurt Vonnegut, I would start with Slaughterhouse Five. It can be confusing because the protagonist is unstuck in time. So if you get easily confused, this might not be the best book to read. You don’t really get the full picture of the story until you finish it, which is a beautiful writing tactic. It is also a book that everyone should reread once they’ve read it. Once you know the whole story, revisiting it allows you to understand the implications of the characters’ actions on the established future. Definitely read this if you like sci-fi, especially if you enjoy space-time theories such as string theory.

3. Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank
Alas, Babylon was one of the first apocalyptic books. Though it was meant to inform the governments of the Cold War of the possible effects of their actions, Alas, Babylon can be a wake up call to readers of any time. I first read it for school, but once the story started picking up, I read the entire book in a couple of hours. It’s that good. It is one of my most favorite books, so I think everyone should read it.

2. Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality by Eliezer Yudkowsky
Since most of the public has been exposed to J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, or at least watched the movies (though I do know at least three people that haven’t even watched the movies), I think HPMOR is a great addition to this list. This incredibly popular fan fiction explores how Harry’s first year at Hogwarts would progress if his aunt had married a distinguished professor instead of the brutish Vernon Dursley. They would have treated Harry well and instilled in him the values of education and science. In this epic retelling, Harry is not an idiot first-year, but a genius rational who wants to optimize the universe. It can also be confusing at times, but it is incredibly funny and incredibly wonderous.

1. World War Z by Max Brooks
So…World War Z. This movie sucked. So much. I watched the movie first, and thought it was thrilling, but the logic was screwed up and the production was also screwed up and the story was also screwed up. If the movie was off-putting to you as well, give the book a chance. The movie is nothing like the book at all. The book is written in a really cool way. The narrator is a journalist who is going around the world after the Zombie War has passed to collect stories about the War from its start to its finish. It shows the amazing ways that the human race can come together to fix our problems, and how our thirst for innovation and survival can save us from almost anything.

Which books do you find yourself recommending?

10 Favorite Characters

Today is day 3 of 12 Days of Book Lists. This was definitely the hardest list so far. This took me all day to figure out. I love so many characters. And I have read so many books in my life that I couldn’t really remember which characters were my favorite. Most of these characters are from books I have read within the last three years because I could actually remember their character traits.

1. Harry James Potter-Evans-Verres from Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality

“I don’t want to rule the universe. I just think it could be more sensibly organized.”

I like this Harry much better than the original Harry Potter. He is in many ways the antithesis to JKR’s Harry. Harry from HPMOR is intelligent and cunning and ambitious. He imbibes the traits of each of the Hogwarts houses, but his Ravenclaw side is the most prevalent, closely followed by Slytherin. He wants to know everything. And he wants to use that knowledge to optimize the world.

2. Annabeth Chase from Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus

“Strength has to bow down to Knowledge at times.”

I love Annabeth. She’s the best. Definitely my favorite character from the Percy Jackson-verse. Her intellect is wonderous. And she’s a leader. And she can fight. What more does anyone want to be?

3. Hermione Granger from Harry Potter

“Actually, I’m highly logical, which allows me to look past extraneous detail and perceive clearly that which others overlook.”

Like most of the internet, I love Hermione. First and foremost, she understands the power of books. She gets it! She loves helping people. She’s pretty much the perfect friend. Her character flaws, such as stubbornness and close-mindedness, generally make her more loveable and relatable as a character. (She is, however, largely stripped of any flaws, and thereby, dehumanized in the movies.)

4. Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter

“You’re just as sane as I am.”

Luna Lovegood is just so whimsical. She knows more than people give her credit for, but she doesn’t care that everyone thinks she’s a lunatic. She trusts her own knowledge, even thought noone else takes her seriously. I mean, she’s a Ravenclaw for a reason.

5. Allie the Outcast from the Skinjacker trilogy

“I admit nothing.”

Allie is one of the strongest characters from the Skinjacker trilogy. Though she is one of many main characters, we know more about her life than any of the other characters. She craves skinjacking because she loves feeling alive. And she appreciates being alive. But even when she figures out that she might still have a chance at living, she remains in Everlost, so that she can save the world before she saves her own life.

6. Arianna from City of Masks

“Beauty is cash–that’s the Bellezzans’ motto.”

Arianna is really cool. She dresses up like a guy just so she can follow her dream, and she doesn’t think much about the consequences. Even when her plans don’t turn out how she expected, she makes the best of her situation. Power is thrust upon her, and she wears that power well.

7. Finnick Odair from the Hunger Games

“It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart.”

Finnick! Finnick is definitely my favorite character from the Hunger Games. He hides his true sensitivity behind a mask of hotness. He is the most in-love character we see in the entire trilogy. He is definitely more exclusive with his love than Katniss.

8. Mikey McGill from the Skinjacker trilogy

“If the McGill was your cousin, I can guarantee he’d disown you.”

What can I say about Mikey McGill? He starts out the one true monster of Everlost, and he becomes the greatest force of will in the world to save his soulmate. The relationship between Allie and Mikey is so cute.

9. Andrew Wiggin from Ender’s Game

“I think it’s impossible to really understand somebody, what they want, what they believe, and not love them the way they love themselves.”

Ender is a genius. And that makes him wonderful. I love smart people. He has a bit of a dark side, and his ingenuity can be kind of terrifying. But his morals are in the right place. Even when he knowingly hurts people, they usually have it coming for them. He tries his hardest to right any of the wrongs he may have done. Ender is the manifestation of the idea that knowledge is the greatest power in the universe.

10. Isabelle Lightwood from the Mortal Instruments

“I’m pure at heart. It repels the dirt.”

I did enjoy the Mortal Instruments series, but I find that Isabelle was one of the few characters that I actually liked. She’s tough and beautiful and just generally awesome. I feel like we could be awesome friends.

Who are your favorite literary characters?