Top 10 Stand-Alone Books of ALL Time (Another Definitive List of Certainty!)

I kind of went to town recently on top 10 lists, but I love making them so I'll probably keep doing it. Here's the Top 10 Stand-Alone Books for Fantasy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LrQz1I59M4

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Top 10 Spooky Reads/Books for October

I thought I'd put together some of my favorite creepy-type reads in another Top 10 list, because I clearly can't help myself. The video was posted earlier this month, but somehow didn't get to posting here until the end ... but at least I made it! I'll pat myself on the back for anything!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqJwi3M25Wc

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Top 10 Science Fiction Books of ALL Time (THE Definitive SciFi List)

As with my fantasy books list, this is just as definitive and all-encompassing. You think I can't read every book ever written and even the ones currently being written? Well, I say you're probably thinking along some very sane lines.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_30t_ingok&t=20s

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Top 10 Fantasy Books of ALL Time (THE Definitive List)

My updated Top 10 Fantasy Books of ALL Time and since I've read ALL the books of ALL time, you know there's nothing left off this list whatsoever even though it's 10 books total. Just to be clear...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMkIRnlSYF4

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My Top 10 Science Fiction and Fantasy Books for the First Half of 2021 (ish)

Here's the video for my top 10 books I've read this year so far. Almost got it at the right time, but like usual, not quite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFblcLg8Juo&t=1s

Thanks for checking it out. Please like, subscribe, and don't hold back! Like, why is your title so long and stupid? I'm wondering the same!

Top 10 Fantasy Books - My old Goodreads List (Youtube)

 I take a look at my old top 10 Fantasy book list (really 12 since I couldn't narrow it down to 10). It's more of an attempt to use new programs (to me) so bear with me on this one. I at least learned a lot about this process so I will try to do better on the next one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FosEU7yaq0o&t=70s

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Only the Best of 2011 - End of the Year Wrap-Up and Top 10

It's that time of year, I've always wondered why we do best of lists before the year's even over, I mean, there's still time to finish books. I also fully realize the end of a year is a time for reflection and the new year is a time for new beginnings. At least awards for books occur in the following year, they know what they're doing.


Top 5 (2011 Releases)

5. Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
4. Shadow's Lure by Jon Sprunk
3. The Whitefire Crossing by Courtney Schafer
2. Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan



1. Heaven's Needle by Liane Merciel

It's really sad there won't be any more books in the Ithelas series as the publisher has discontinued it. I still say it's worth a read along with the first book, The River Kings' Road.


Honorable Mentions

I could pretty much place these in my top 5, it was THAT hard of a decision.


Low Town by Daniel Polansky
Demon Squad: Resurrection by Tim Marquitz


What's Missing? (I stole this from The Speculative Scotsman)


Well, I decided to take my time with some of the biggies this year, you know, wait until there's a bit more progress in the series before I do my big reread... so A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin and Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss.


Oh, and remember The Unremembered (that was on purpose)? It was enjoyable, but not quite an end of the year best.


Top 10 (Published any year)

There wasn't really a big chance for the new kids on the block with some of the classics I read this year and I decided not to count the books from The Wheel of Time that I listened to because that's just not fair. I also didn't include any of the novellas that I snuck in the last few weeks.

10. The Whitefire Crossing by Courtney Schafer
9. I Am Not A Serial Killer by Dan Wells
8. Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan
7. How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu
6. The Waste Lands and The Drawing of the Three by Steven King (same series, same number, doesn't make sense I know)
5. Heaven's Needle by Liane Merciel
4. Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
3. Stardust by Neil Gaiman
2. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (Even got my wife to read it and she's loving it)


1. Songs of the Dying Earth Edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois


I'll have some posts about goals and how I did this year (sadly not all were met) probably sometime in the new year. Otherwise Happy Holidays and see ya in 2012!

It's News To Me #2

Here's a couple interesting items below and if you want my recent book haul, that can be viewed here.


Interview: Anthony Huso, author of The Last Page, a book I keep hearing great things about.

Top 10 Movies List: BSC has the Top 10 SFF movies of the decade. Not a bad job - it's easy to take apart someone else's list - but I'd definitely put Lord of the Rings a bit higher. I agree that Lady in the Water got a bad rap, I loved that movie.

Jim Butcher: Ghost Story is being delayed. As all good GRRM advocates know, it's better to have a better book than a worse one. :D

And that's the news...at least to me.

Only the Best of 20 Ten (and also some of the worst)

It was promised multiple times and now it's a reality. My top picks for 2010.

My goal was to read 60 books this year and I reached 52, which is quite an achievement for me (10 more than last year). I've always heard that it's best to reach 80% of your goals because it means your setting them to make you stretch and that's about what I've done here (86% to be exact).

Top 5 2010 Releases

5. Corvus (2010) - Paul Kearney
4. Shadow's Son (2010) - Jon Sprunk
3. The Desert Spear (2010) - Peter V. Brett
2. Return of the Crimson Guard (2010 US) - Ian C. Esslemont
1. The Way of Kings (2010) - Brandon Sanderson

Top 10 Read in 2010 (From any publication year)


10. The Ten Thousand (2008) - Paul Kearney
9. The Crown Conspiracy (2007) - Michael J. Sullivan
8. Ender's Shadow (1999) - Orson Scott Card
7. The Burning Skies (2009) - David J. Williams
6. An Autumn War (2008) - Daniel Abraham
5. The Desert Spear (2010) - Peter V. Brett
4. Return of the Crimson Guard (2010) - Ian C. Esslemont
3. The Way of Kings (2010) - Brandon Sanderson
2. The Warded Man (2008) - Peter V. Brett
1. The Last Unicorn (1968) - Peter S. Beagle

Biggest Surprise(s)

There were three for this category and all from small presses. Loved all of these and will definitely be reading more from each author:


Dante's Journey - JC Marino
Armageddon Bound - Tim Marquitz
A Festival of Skeletons - RJ Astruc

Biggest Disappointment(s)


Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
The Last Wish

Series Started in 2010

16

They are:

The Way of Shadows (Night Angel)
The Ten Thousand (Macht)
Ender's Shadow (Ender's Shadow)
On Basilisk Station (Honor Harrington)
The Way of Kings (Stormlight Archive)
The Warded Man (Demon Cycle)
Shadow's Son (Shadow Saga)
The Left Hand of God (Thomas Cale)
The Mirrored Heavens (Autumn Rain)
Heroes Die (Overworld)
The Hunger Games (Hunger Games)
The Gunslinger (Dark Tower)
The Crown Conspiracy (Riyria Revelations)
Armageddon Bound (Demon Squad)
Malice (Malice)
A Shadow in Summer (Long Price)

Yeah, this doesn't look too good does it? It gets worse (and then a bit better).

Series Finished in 2010

4

The Hunger Games
The Long Price Quartet
The Autumn Rain Trilogy
The Night Angel Trilogy

This is definitely the 'worse' part. Ouch.

Series With the Possibility of Completion in 2010

5

The Hunger Games
The Long Price Quartet
The Autumn Rain Trilogy
The Night Angel Trilogy
Dark Tower

Doesn't look so bad now does it? :D

Series Furthered in 2010

4

Return of the Crimson Guard (Malazan)
Reaper's Gale (Malazan)
Toll the Hounds (Malazan)
The Desert Spear (Demon Cycle)
The Light Fantastic (Discworld)
Corvus (Macht)

Hope you did better with your series than I did. Furthering only 4 when I started 16, not to mention the others I started before 2010 is a goal I'll have to work a bit harder on in 2011.

Top Fantasy Books of 2009!?

Being a big fan of lists, I though I would share the interesting Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy Books of 2009 posted over at SFCrowsnest, as voted by their readers.

The list is interesting. A number of authors are missing which I strongly feel should be there, such as Abercrombie, Sanderson, and Goodkind (joke). Secondly, pretty much anything that has been made into a movie or television series can be found on the list, which in my opinion is fairly telling.

Do these titles really represent the best of what was published this year? Hardly, but to be sure there are a number of blockbusters and award winners that are rightly on the list, such as The Graveyard Book. To be quite honest, many of the titles don't even ring a bell, but that may be because I haven't explore Horror much this year. So, do you think the list is representative of what is good in SF/F/H in 2009? Is The Magician's Apprentice really the best book of 2009?

Oh, before I forget, Larry also put together a nifty collection of top science fiction and fantasy of 2009 lists from major pubs, such as the New York Times and the Washington Post. Take a look and fill up those stockings!

MISSION STATEMENT: Only The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy

I solemnly swear to provide only the best science fiction and fantasy literature I can get my hands on. I promise to already have read every SciFi or Fantasy book posted here, and to have loved it. If it isn't loved it doesn't get posted, end of story.

Are you tired of walking in to Barnes & Noble or Borders and despairing of ever finding the right science fiction or fantasy book for you? Well, look no further because now you can leave the bookstore with your arms laden with pounds of the finest printed word out there.

There is a serious lack of good references for new science fiction admirers and even old vets like myself. You either get stuck with some terrible rankings from places like Amazon, or you get mired in an endless list, ie "TOP 100 SciFi Books of All Time" that don't say much besides giving the name and author, because we all know that's is going to do you a lot of good.

No more throwing darts in the dark and hoping to find a gem, I will provide you with the treasure chest full of sparkling rubies, sapphires, and diamonds. And for those of you who, like myself, still enjoy going even though you know your chances of finding a new and exciting science fiction or fantasy novel are slim, I'll provide a couple suggestions and tricks for improving your odds.

Now, when I go to the book store and walk into my section (is it strange that I think of it as my section?) I have to fight back waves of despair. My anger is so hot and visceral when I see that the twenty seventh book in the Recluse series just came out, that I think that the stack of books next to me might combust.

The sad fact of the matter is that trashy Science Fiction and Fantasy sells, not as well as the good stuff to be sure, but well enough to keep wasting paper. I will ward you clear of these literary horrors and steer you toward the ambrosia that is a good, make that a great book.

While I will be posting my top picks at the pace of one per week I will also build a top 10 list in which books will compete for the privilege of those distinguished spots.

I will start out with those that off the top of my head deserve to be read and I will add more titles and reviews from there. I should note that I will not focus on some of the older science fiction and fantasy, as first off a lot of it is out of print and secondly, I would like to focus on more recent works: those that have so far failed to be recognized for how sublime the really are, and so deserve a top spot on our list.

Lastly, and most importantly please post your recommendation for even though my book finding skills are finely honed I am not capable of reading everything out there (I wish I was).