5. Outlander and Dragonfly in Amber [amazon_link asins=’0440212561′ template=’ProductGrid’ store=’nerdologists-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’52c749e1-92fe-11e7-b5f7-63f49de38794′]

Some of you may be familiar with the recent Starz show based on this series by Diana Gabaldon, though not as many may have read the books. I’m here to tell you that they’re worth it — with some caveats.

I first started reading these books at the recommendation of a friend a few years ago, and right from the start, they sucked me in like crazy (it helped that I was unemployed and fresh out of college at the time, but still). There’s a lot going on in these books, and they kind of defy categorization — they’re historical fiction, romance, and time-travel sci-fi all at once. What I like most about them, beyond their arresting quality, is the way the characters just feel so real — it’s like they could just jump off the page and start talking to you at any moment. The way they behave feels, for the most part, like the way real people would behave under the same circumstances, and they make just as many questionable decisions and have just as many foibles and failings as those of us in the real world.

However, there’s a reason I only listed the first two books here, instead of the whole series — the first one is fantastic, the second one is quite good, and the third one is decent, but it starts to go off the rails a bit in that one, and meanders off into “let’s explore the daily minutiae of the protagonists’ lives” from that point on. They’re still arguably worth reading, but the first two are definitely the strongest.

Lastly, an important note on these — the whole series has a lot, and I mean a lot, of strong violence and sexuality (not as much as Game of Thrones and things of that ilk, maybe, but…it’s up there), so if those things tend to turn you off, best to steer clear.

4. Ella Enchanted [amazon_link asins=’0064407055′ template=’ProductGrid’ store=’nerdologists-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’64149bbc-92fe-11e7-af49-1fa1331f0762′]

File this one under “best fairy tale adaptations ever.” I absolutely adore this book–my number of re-reads is probably approaching 20 at this point (no joke), and I bought a new copy at one point because my original one was falling apart. As you might guess from the name, it’s a retelling of Cinderella. In this version, our heroine is struggling under a well-intentioned but actually horrible faerie spell that forces her to obey any and every order she’s given, no matter what it is. Ella spends most of the story fighting against her curse and trying to figure out how to finally break it and be free.

This story is YA at its best — it has a spunky heroine who manages to be her own person in spite of seemingly insurmountable obstacles, and who is both likeable and believable in the bargain. This book hits all the sweet spots for me, and I can’t get enough of it, even now, a good 13 or so years after my first reading of it.

3. Pride and Prejudice [amazon_link asins=’0141439513′ template=’ProductGrid’ store=’nerdologists-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’6d999666-92fe-11e7-bfa7-b1890dd69489′]

I’ve read quite a few great classics by now, but this one consistently rises to the top. I have a hard time picking my favorite Austen novel, to be honest, but in the end, this one is it, even if it’s a bit of an obvious choice.

Strangely enough, I fell in love with this book by seeing the movie first. I watched the 2005 adaptation soon after it came out, and, well — I may have liked period pieces before that time, but after, I was a goner. And I think knowing the story somewhat before reading the book was a good idea — I often find that this helps me understand classics, especially ones with more unfamiliar language, better than I would have otherwise, and I end up getting more out of them because of that.

Such was the case with Pride and Prejudice — however, it still took many years and several re-readings before I truly understood and appreciated this book’s greatness. As any seasoned Austen aficionado will tell you, Austen’s M.O. is to present a seemingly benign tableau of everyday life in the English countryside but slowly reveal that it’s just a veneer that hides the sheer ridiculousness of people who value propriety and strive to keep up appearances above all else — even at the expense of those around them.

P&P is no different. Amid the varied cast of characters, nobody — not even the protagonist, Lizzie Bennet — is safe from the vagaries of polite society and its ability to make fools of everyone. Beyond being a great social commentary that still manages to be relevant 200 years later, it’s full of some of the most wonderful and memorable characters in literature. On top of that, the story is just straight up funny — once you get the hang of Austen’s writing style, you start appreciating the constant jokes she makes at her characters’ expense, both lovingly and otherwise, and you’ll notice more every time you re-read it (believe me, you’ll want to).

2. The Chronicles of Narnia [amazon_link asins=’0701496967′ template=’ProductGrid’ store=’nerdologists-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’79835cf2-92fe-11e7-b92e-3fb061a59e86′]

I had to go with another series for this one–when it comes to these books, I’m notorious for always saying, “oh, I like this one best…no wait, that one’s my favorite…no, wait, hang on…”. There’s something I like about every book in this series, and since it’s impossible to pick which one I love most, I’m looking at them as a unit.

Quite simply, this was the first book series that really changed me, the first that made me realize just how transformative and inspiring books can be. It’s the first set of books I can think of that let me understand things I had always sort of thought but had never been able to articulate before. I first started reading them when I was about 9 or 10, and they’ve never moved from the top of my list of favorites since then. Beyond the groundbreaking fantastical elements and great characters, there are just so many great takeaways from the stories. I consistently find myself thinking of the courageous, comforting, inspiring, and convicting moments that the books are full of. To me, the mark of a good story is one I can fall back on when times are tough, and I find myself doing so with these books without even trying.

The series have (rightly, for the most part) gotten a lot of flak for being full of heavy-handed allegory and having some problematic aspects in terms of the way they deal with race and gender. It’s important to be aware of these elements, but I don’t think they ruin the series. Of course, since I come from the same faith background as the author, I resonate with the allegorical aspect, though some might find it grating. The problematic elements are tougher–some of it can be explained by the fact that C.S. Lewis was a product of the time in which he wrote, but it’s still troubling. However, I don’t think books with this kind of content should be avoided — even if I didn’t love the series, I’d think it was important to engage with it in order to be fully aware of what things used to be like, and how far we’ve come since then.

In short, like all series, it’s not perfect — but it’s always called out something me that didn’t have a voice before, and I’ll always hold these books in high esteem because of that.

1. Lord of the Rings (with The Hobbit riding in a sidecar) [amazon_link asins=’0345538374′ template=’ProductGrid’ store=’nerdologists-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’850623ce-92fe-11e7-b68e-51496d47f6d8′]

I know I’m overlapping with Peder here (it’s like we’re married or something, jeez), but there’s no way this series can occupy anything else than the top spot in my book-loving heart, so here it stays.

I love this series for so many reasons, but chief among them is the fact that, like any great story does, these books tell me the truth about life, love, and everything in between. Not the truth in the sense that this stuff really happened (I wish…), but in the sense that it helps the reader to better understand reality through the lens of a legendary fantastical world. No series has more lines in it that I just want to carry around in my brain at all times and the overall story is just full of so much depth and wisdom. Some shy away from these books because of Tolkein’s somewhat meandering, overly descriptive way of writing, but these things have never bothered me — as far as I’m concerned, it just means more to love. I get something new out of the plot and the character development every time I read these books, and I look forward to many more re-readings in the future.

5. Lord of the Rings [amazon_link asins=’0345538374′ template=’ProductGrid’ store=’nerdologists-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’98f2cc05-8e61-11e7-9fba-7788d58c0cac’]

Starting off with a trilogy and a classic. Lord of the Rings is really the standard when it comes to epic fantasy. One of my favorite aspects is the journey from being silly Hobbits into more developed characters with depth in the case of Sam, Merry and Pippin. These stories inform all epic fantasy now as well, which I love. Plus, the story speaks so well to humanity and how sometimes it’s the least that can do the most and that it isn’t always about being the biggest hero; it’s about how, to quote Spider-Man, with great power comes great responsibility.

4. Swallows and Amazons [amazon_link asins=’B00BIPOJVM’ template=’ProductGrid’ store=’nerdologists-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’97097cca-8e62-11e7-bc3e-c755e5b159c7′]

This is definitely a lesser-known book series, but it was one that I grew up with. It takes place in 1930s and follows around a group of kids who have amazing adventures on the lake where they are summering. The kids call themselves the Swallows, as the Swallow is the name of the small sailing boat they use in their adventures.They find an island in the middle of the lake where they can camp, and the Swallows do, only to find out that there is another group of kids, the Amazons, who have already laid claim to the island. This is a wonderfully fun series and a fast one to read, as it’s targeted toward children. If you have kids or if you enjoy children’s and middle-grade fiction, you will enjoy these books. The kids get into tons of trouble and go off on tons of adventures, and generally it’s just a blast.

3. It [amazon_link asins=’1501142976′ template=’ProductGrid’ store=’nerdologists-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’386f8ab0-8e63-11e7-b0eb-15d07ce9a6d3′]

I’m a big horror fan and a big Stephen King fan, so there was no way I was leaving this off the list. Often with Stephen King, I feel like his endings can be a bit rushed or a bit odd, but It doesn’t feel like that at all to me. The story paces out perfectly, and with the intertwined generational story giving you information as you need it, it makes it really interesting. For horror fans, if you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it. If you hate clowns, probably skip it, though.

2. Harry Potter [amazon_link asins=’059035342X’ template=’ProductGrid’ store=’nerdologists-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’2f4d105a-8e65-11e7-b987-6dabc4698b90′]

This is another middle-grade/YA series, but one that everyone definitely knows. It’s just so much fun; it’s epic, it flows well, and it allows you to get lost in the fun of the story. It’s not without its faults, but the fact that I’ve read through the series three times means that I really do love it. Harry Potter really allows me to escape into a world that is wonderful, and as someone who loves the fantastical, it’s easy to imagine what it would be like to live in that world and what sort of amazing adventures could be had joining Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Now, I will say, for being #2 on my list, this almost didn’t make the list, as I have other very fantastical books that I love as well, but Harry Potter as a collection of fantasy/magical books is just too wonderful not to put on the list.

 1. Dresden Files [amazon_link asins=’0451457811′ template=’ProductGrid’ store=’nerdologists-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’e325b6a0-8e65-11e7-8405-9982ffc569b3′]

This is another fantastical series that I really really love. I’m not done with the whole series yet (nor is Jim Butcher), but I love everything about it. It has that wonderful urban fantasy element to it that I really enjoy, as it makes it feel like supernatural things could be hiding just out of the corner of my eye in reality. Bringing in fey, vampires, werewolves, wizards, and so many more monsters, it’s fantastic while still being grounded. It is also interesting because Harry isn’t a great person for a main character. He has a lot of flaws — he’s stubborn, reckless, and has plenty more unsavory traits as well. But that makes the books better than a lot of other series, in my opinion, as you feel like you’re able to relate to him more than with some heroes, and that isn’t something that a lot of series do all that well. I’ve only read through the first eight books once, but after reading that far I know I want all the books, and I know I’ll want to read them again, which is a sign of a good series.