Welcome, dear children, to the first of my soon-to-be-famous lists! First up is...*drum roll* my favorite books, along with a harshly critical 3-8 sentence review. Enjoy! WARNING: Since I am mostly a fantasy fan, I might be a little biased. Just sayin'!
10. A Wrinkle In Time Madeline L'Engle: An excellent book, but a little too sci-fi for my tastes. And the rest of the series...no way. It had a few memorable passages, but altogether...it barely makes it onto this list. Rating: ***
9. Anne of Green Gables L.M. Montgomery: A beautifully written and altogether timeless piece; one of my all-time favorites. However, much of the book was rather flowery and descriptive, witch might turn off less dedicated readers. Once you get past that minor flaw, an excellent read. Rating: ****
8. The Red Pyramid Rick Riordan: Although Riordan is usually a brilliant writer, I felt that something was lacking in this particular book. I don't know what is is, but I found myself preferring his earlier Percy Jackson And The Olympians series over this one. It's realistic characters and exciting storyline makes it stand out as a series of it is own, without using his previous works as a crutch, but as a whole, I think Riordan's new series will not become as popular as his previous one has. Rating: ****
7. The Red Blazer Girls Michael D. Beil: I must say, it's almost a little creepy how well a male writer knows how girls think. Some girls, at least. This book is perfect mixture of puzzle-solving, mystery, and math, as well as a little romance. Yes, I know, math isn't the most exciting thing you've ever known. In fact, it's hideously boring! However, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the book. I also recommend getting the book on tape. The English version, at least, has an excellent reader that brings the story to life. Rating: ****
6. Harriet The Spy Louise Fitzhugh: An amusing heroine and her interesting way of getting information make this book one of my favorites at #6! Be warned, this book is rather old, and some of the ideas-such as a typewriter-are out-of-date, but I found that this did not lessen my enjoyment of the book. Louise Fitzhugh is an accomlished writer, and I recommend the other books in this series as well, along with Harriet The Spy, Double Agent- an add-on to the original series by writer Maya Gold. Rating: ****1/2
5. The Once And Future King T.H. White: This book has lost none of it's charm with age, and has managed, as some books do, to maintain it's originality and spirit over the years. With a wizard prortrayed as an untidy, half-mad old man and a hero named Wart who is destined to become king, you know that this book is unlike any other. Of course, it's not perfect. At a whooping 639 pages (at least, that's how many my version has) this book's complex language and may characters can be as difficult to understand as the most uninteligable foreign language class. Fortunalty, I found it worth the trouble. Rating:****
4. The Story Girl L.M. Montgomery: I loved this book because I love stories. If you don't, I don't know why you've bothered to read this far. Although the narrarator is well-spoken, it is the firey story girl who will captivate you. Her enchanting voice and fascinating stories will speak to you even when only read on the printed page. An exellent book, although not without it's faults, of course. Rating: ****1/2
3. Steinbeck's Ghost Lewis Buzbee: A fabulous book, and unusual too. There is no one great enemy, no terrible danger or heroic quest. Just one boy, and the power of the written word come to life. In preparation, consider reading a few of Steinbeck's works, including The Red Pony and The Pastures of Heaven, a personal favorite. Also, A Wrinkle In Time would be useful. Rating: *****
2. The Princess Bride (abridged) William Goldman: This book deserves it's spot as #2 on this list. The dialog and narration are intelligent and funny, although the book isn't afraid to fool you into losing all hope. Rating: *****
1. Inkheart Cornelia Funke: A beautiful book, and the one that helped me decide that what I anted more than anything was to be a writer. If you don't like fantasy, you're out of luck, but if you do...this bookhas everything. Faries and brownies, giants and elves, nymphs and even a little magic. The next book in this trilogy, Inkspell, is even better, and Inkdeath, my ultimate favorite book ever. To not love this book, your heart must indeed be as black as ink. Rating: *****1/2
See? Told you I was a little biased. But don't take my word for it. Read them yourselves!
Sincerely,
A Writer
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