Top Ten Book Series, Of All Time Ever!
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Top 10 book Series!
I wrote an article about books 6 weeks ago. Did that foreshadow this article? No, But still, here we are.
Introduction.
I haven’t done an end of year countdown in a few years, so we are back!
I love so many things. Drinking, trains, Lego, trains, live music, trains, making lists, and of course, trains.
Sadly I couldn’t work out how to write an end of year list about Lego, trains, drinking, or live music, so books it is.
Format.
Originally I had planned to list my top 10 books, but I realized that was actually a very hard thing to do. Instead I decided to make a list of my top 10 series, however when I sat down to do that, it also proved harder than I expected. In the end I settled on a slightly different approach.
This is ten series I loved at the time of reading. That means if I was to look back, I doubt some of these would make my actual top 10, but at least at the time of reading them, they would have made it for sure.
10: Eragon by Christopher Paolini.
When I read the first book in this series, I absolutely loved it. I mean what is not to love, swords, dragons, magic, an old man giving advice, weird monsters, shit happening.
It was like Lord of the Rings, but with more dragons. Yes I know The Hobbit had a dragon, but one dragon is not enough.
You know what, Eragon only had like four dragons in the entire series. So that is not that good, but it is more than one so it counts.
But still, reading those first few books was an incredible experience. At that point in my life I really had not read much else, so these were fantastic.
I will admit I to this day hate the ending of the series. That did ruin it for me. And as time has gone on I have found much better in the fantasy realm. But as it stands this was truly one of the series I loved almost every minute of, right up until the end.
This makes my list not because of how much I love the series, but because it helped as a gateway into other books and series, which has led me to read hundreds of books more. I consider this book the bridge to better things. For that reason it can have the number 10 spot.
9: Hyperion by Dan Simmons.
I don’t think I had ever read sci fi before I started reading this series. A friend of mine got me into it. We started reading this as a group, but getting people together to read an audiobook was too much of a struggle, so after the first book we split off. However, I did go on to read the rest of the series. It was really interesting. For someone who had never read anything like it before, it was a stand out for me in my memory.
This also includes time travel, something that pisses me off in most books. However, I found it to be used well in this series. I fully plan to revisit these books in the near future, so maybe my opinion will change. But either way, it makes the number 9 spot here.
8: koban by Stephen W. Bennett.
Honesty time. This series has seven books. I love the first four and the other three are good but not amazing. However, this series makes my list from the first four books alone.
This was a series I picked up a few years after Hyperion, but it is the second sci fi entry on this list. It is also the last, but don’t let that bother you.
I enjoyed these books a lot. The narrator was one I liked, and for me it was a really good concept that came together quite well.
I haven’t read them in a long time, so maybe if I read them again now I wouldn’t like them as much. But at the time, I fucking loved these books!
7: Harry potter by J. K. Rowling.
Look, I don’t think I need to talk about this much. Most people either know someone like me or can relate to me. Harry Potter was the first books I read outside of things I had to read. I grew up reading them, and I think my enjoyment of reading started here.
I read all seven of these books many times when growing up. I could quote huge sections by heart. I have read one of them in braille, and read the audiobook versions, both American and British.
I was given these books as gifts, and I still have many Harry Potter collectables. It helped shape who I am as a reader to this day.
If I read them for the first time now, I would absolutely pick them to shreds. But growing up they were perfect. I loved them, and that is why they make this list.
6: Jane Yellowrock by Faith Hunter.
Another series that I am sure if I read for the first time right now, I wouldn’t be into anywhere near as much.
However, this goes back a very long time, to my early days on Audible over 12 years ago. I picked up this book as part of a “First in a series sale.” I started reading. The next thing I knew, it was 9 in the morning, I had been up all night, and I had finished the book.
I ended up buying four or five more right away, and I spent the next three days smashing through the rest that were out. I followed the series until the end, but the later books got a bit weird.
But the joy of discovery, of starting to read and just not stopping, forgetting to go to bed because you are enjoying it that much, very few times in my life have I experienced that. This book did that to me, so the series will always be a stand out in my memory.
5: The cosmere by Brandon Sanderson.
I spent much of this year completing the Cosmere books. I had read The Stormlight books, but I hadn’t read many of the others. Overall I think reading through it all shows how much Brandon Sanderson has evolved as an author. Moreover, the way he has woven connections through so many books is nothing short of incredible.
This is the largest collection on this list. With around 20 books in the Cosmere so far, you have several hundred hours of content if you read it all. But it is worth it. This universe that he has created is nothing short of brilliant.
The only reason this isn’t higher is the final four entries on this list caused me a big enough headache that they all had to be grouped together.
Side Note before we move on.
I really did mean what I said. These last few are hard to work out an order for, so take 2 through 4 with a grain of salt. They could be in any order really.
Allegedly 4: He Who Fights With Monstersby Travis Deverell/Shirtaloon.
When it comes to books that make you laugh out loud, this book series is absolutely top tier. Reading through this series was a struggle. I don’t often have to stop a book because I am laughing, but this book made me do it more than once.
A mix of humour, some serious moments, and just absolute chaos make this a fucking brilliant book series. Also, I mean, how could I not love a book with an Australian as the main character.
Again, this top 4 could really go in any order. I will blame the fact Clive’s wife never called me back for it getting fourth.
But a brilliant LitRPG series.
Allegedly 3: Primal Hunter by Zogarth.
What I look for in a book. Main character is an archer, check. Giant talking worm who can act as a form of transport and also just eat things and people because it can, check. Gods who just kick back and drink beers, check.
All of these top 4 have main characters who are what you might call over achievers.
But that is what makes them so good. They don’t give a single fuck. They go big and then they take your home and burn it to the fucking ground.
This series goes from 0 to holy shit so fast and honestly I am here for it.
I love the main character, but one of the reasons this series is so good is the interactions with the other characters. This is a person who interacts with so many different people and beings, and somehow the whole thing is smooth without feeling forced.
Allegedly 2: The Ripple System by Kyle Kirrin.
When it comes to a series, one of the hardest things is finding a first book that is good enough to make you want to keep reading. I am not the kind of person to give a series a chance. I have heard people say things like, oh it gets good in book 2 or 3. If that is the case I just don’t read it.
However, this series made me want to keep reading just from the humour alone. The story takes a complete back seat to the characters. The story is good, but the characters are so good it almost doesn’t matter what they are doing.
Are they the best books ever written? Probably not, but honestly it doesn’t matter. They are just so fun to read.
To every other book lower on this list, consider yourself Franked.
1: Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman.
As the top 4 is the LitRPG series I have read in the last few years and loved, number 1 had to go to the book that started it all for me.
We read this book in book club and I was hooked. These books have the mix of chaos, good characters, lots of humour, and serious moments mixed in with it all.
The characters show real development over the series, both in how they grow as characters and in how they adapt to the whole situation. It allows for so much humour, but also some really down to earth serious moments.
But if it all gets too much, a good big explosion is always just around the corner.
I love these books, and I can’t wait to see how it all plays out.
Final thoughts.
These books represent a massive chunk of time. I have put in well over 1000 hours into these series. Over 90 books make up the 10 listed above, many of which I have read twice or more.
The first Harry Potter book was a Christmas present when I was just 6 years old, and I can’t tell you how many times I read those 7 books over the following 10 years.
On the other hand, the last 4 series listed are on going and I hope for books to keep releasing for years to come.
Picking individual books is hard, especially when you read the entire series back to back, which is why I went with this idea.
So if you read this and reflect on your own reading, that is awesome. Maybe you got a few suggestions. Or maybe you just wish I would stop writing bloody lists.
Either way, I hope you enjoyed it.
Conclusion.
Read all the books!
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